In the spring of 2011, the LinuxCNC Board of Directors was contacted by a law firm representing EMC Corporation (www.emc.com) about the use of "EMC" and "EMC2" to identify the software offered on linuxcnc.org. EMC Corporation has registered various trademarks relating to EMC and EMC^2 (EMC with superscripted numeral two).
After a number of conversations with the representative of EMC Corporation, the final result is that, starting with the next major release of the software, linuxcnc.org will stop identifying the software using "emc" or "EMC", or those terms followed by digits. To the extent that the LinuxCNC Board of Directors controls the names used to identify the software offered on linuxcnc.org, the board has agreed to this. As a result, it was necessary to choose a new name for the software. Of the options the board considered, there was consensus that "LinuxCNC" is the best option, as this has been our website's name for years. In preparation for the new name, we have received a sub-license of the LINUX(R) trademark from the Linux Foundation (http://www.linuxfoundation.org), protecting our use of the LinuxCNC name. (LINUX(R) is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.) The rebranding effort will include the linuxcnc.org website, the IRC channels, and versions of the software and documentation starting with 2.5.0. Rebranding will begin right away. If you like, you can help us by updating name references on the wiki (http://wiki.linuxcnc.org), or by contributing graphics such as a new splash screen image or a new cover for the manual. There is no need for anything like a legal defense fund or a letter writing campaign to the EMC Corporation. They have absolutely treated us with respect and they are not "bad guys". We urge you to see this as an opportunity for the LinuxCNC project and for all users and contributors. Our new name clearly and concisely explains what the software is. The renaming process will create positive buzz about the project. Thank you for your continuing support of the LinuxCNC project. Yours, The LinuxCNC Board of Directors: Jeff Epler Alex Joni John Kasunich Stephen Wille Padnos Chris Radek ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Keep Your Developer Skills Current with LearnDevNow! The most comprehensive online learning library for Microsoft developers is just $99.99! Visual Studio, SharePoint, SQL - plus HTML5, CSS3, MVC3, Metro Style Apps, more. Free future releases when you subscribe now! http://p.sf.net/sfu/learndevnow-d2d _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
