Eric wrote: Sounds great Harrison! But does this mean that, lets say Coca-Cola, could establish a brand "Open Space" and prohibit for example the run of the site "openspaceworld" because it is an forbidden abuse of the brand?
Sure - and wouldn't it be wonderful if we then had a global ad campaign, "Things go Better with Open Space!" There were several reasons why I never even thought about registering "Open Space (Technology)" either as a patent or a trademark. First - even though it is true that I "created" it - it is equally true that literally thousands of people played a real role in the development as either participants or facilitators. So who should hold the patent/trademark? Secondly - as the fundamental mechanisms (self-organization) and power of Open Space became clearer to me, it was even clearer that everything was completely natural. And to seek a patent or trademark would be not unlike doing the same for breathing. Finally, I guess I was just not interested, and fundamentally just too lazy. I cannot imagine anything worse than spending my life with a bunch of lawyers defending infringements on "my" patents or trademarks. As things have turned out I would do (not do) exactly the same all over again. I suppose there could be some down-sides to all this - but the up-sides have been overwhelming. Twenty years of doing what I love with thousands for friends and colleagues all over the world. Life doesn't get much better than that. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Erich Kolenaty Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 3:22 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Quick Question Sounds great Harrison! But does this mean that, lets say Coca-Cola, could establish a brand "Open Space" and prohibit for example the run of the site "openspaceworld" because it is an forbidden abuse of the brand? Just to think it through. Erich ----- Original Message ----- From: Harrison Owen <mailto:[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 8:00 PM Subject: Re: Quick Question Open Space, as far as I am concerned, is the natural birthright of every citizen on the planet. To restrict its use in any fashion (for profit, for fun, for professional advancement, for perversity) would be the ultimate abuse. And the corollary of all of this is that the knowledge gained in the practice of Open Space is equally free, and therefore to be freely shared. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Spady's Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 1:39 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Quick Question That's what I thought but wanted to double check. Thanks for the exciting description of why it is not 'abused'... ----- Original Message ----- From: Harrison Owen <mailto:[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 11:29 AM Subject: Re: Quick Question Open Space - by any name is free. Always has been, and shall remain so. All of which is to say that it has never been registered, copyrighted, sequestered, or otherwise abused. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Spady's Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 1:09 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Quick Question Is the name "Open Space Technology" a Registered Trademark? I don't see it listed that way on any of the websites but I just wanted to be sure for publication purposes. 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