Dear oh dear. Step 1) Post this to slashdot & let the masses moan. Step 2) Offer "CDs burned from images available from www.redhat.com" have no other mention of red hat on your site.
Depending on how much Red Hat business you get, stop distributing it entirely. Brad > -----Original Message----- > From: Mahesh De Silva [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, 2 July 2003 1:25 p.m. > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: areeee redhat is turning into M$!!! > > > This also has implecations for using "red hat" at our > install fests!! > > > > Dear Sir/Madam: > > I am writing on behalf of Red Hat, Inc. with respect > to its trademark > matters. > > Red Hat, Inc. is the owner of several trademark > registrations in the > United States and in foreign countries for the mark > RED HAT. In > addition, Red Hat, Inc. has made extensive use of its trademarks in > interstate and international commerce in connection > with the > advertising, promotion, and sale of its Internet and computer-related > goods and services. The RED HAT mark has become very > famous and many > consumers recognize this mark as a distinctive symbol > of our goodwill. > We would like to direct you to a link which provides > details of our > trademark guidelines for your reference: > > http://www.redhat.com/about/corporate/trademark > > It has come to our attention that you are offering for > sale computer > software under the name RED HAT trademark on your > commercial website > located at www.xsolutions.co.nz. In addition, you have > imbedded our > trademarks within your metatags in violation of > trademark and unfair > competition laws. > > Red Hat, Inc. is concerned that your unauthorized > commercial use of its > trademarks is likely to create confusion, mistake > and/or deception > among > consumers with respect to the source, origin, > sponsorship or approval > of > the products sold on your commercial website. In > addition, your > commercial use of RED HAT dilutes the distinctive > qualities of the RED > HAT mark. > > While it is completely legal to copy and redistribute > the Linux > software > under the GNU General Public License, it is not legal > to name the > software "RED HAT" or any similar name thereof. The > GNU General Public > License deals specifically with the underlying > copyrights of the > software; not the trademarks owned by Red Hat, Inc. > You are free to > call > the software by any name of your choosing provided > that it does not > infringe on the trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or any > third party. > > Consequently, we request that you immediately cease > and desist from > making current or future use of any of Red Hat's > trademarks. Thus, we > ask that you change your website to comply with Red > Hat's trademark > guidelines by removing all references to the RED HAT > mark (or any > similar name and abbreviation) and remove our > trademarks from your > metatags. > > Please provide us with a response by July 7, 2003. We > look forward to > working with you toward an amicable resolution to this > matter. In the > meantime, if you have any questions, please do not > hesitate to contact > us. > > Very truly yours, > > > Jennifer A. Ennis > Trademark Administrator > Red Hat, Inc. > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://www.redhat.com/about/corporate/trademark/index.html http://mobile.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Mobile - Check & compose your email via SMS on your Telstra or Vodafone mobile.
