Launchpad trademark

Bug #664107 reported by Greg A
490
This bug affects 88 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Launchpad itself
Invalid
Undecided
Unassigned
Ubuntu
Invalid
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

According to [1] then " “Launchpad” is a registered trademark of Canonical Ltd ".

Considering Apple have announced a new piece of software for Mac OS X called "Launchpad" (see second image down on [2]). I believe it is a "bug" if Canonical does not defend Launchpad's right to the name.

[1] https://help.launchpad.net/Legal
[2] http://www.apple.com/macosx/lion/

Revision history for this message
Amanda Brock (amanda-brock) wrote : Re: [Bug 664107] [NEW] Launchpad trademark

Matthew

Who made this a bug please?

Amanda

Amanda Brock, General Counsel
Canonical
27 Floor, Millbank Tower
London SW1P 4QP
+44 2076302446
+44 7809389878
Ubuntu - Linux for Human Beings
www.canonical.com

On 21/10/10 10:48, Launchpad Bug Tracker wrote:
> You have been subscribed to a public bug by Matthew Revell (matthew.revell):
>
> According to [1] then " “Launchpad” is a registered trademark of
> Canonical Ltd ".
>
> Considering Apple have announced a new piece of software for Mac OS X
> called "Launchpad" (see second image down on [2]). I believe it is a
> "bug" if Canonical does not defend Launchpad's right to the name.
>
> [1] https://help.launchpad.net/Legal
> [2] http://www.apple.com/macosx/lion/
>
> ** Affects: launchpad
> Importance: Undecided
> Status: New
>
>

Revision history for this message
Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey) wrote :

The bug was reported by a member of the Ubuntu community - Greg Auger.

Revision history for this message
Matthew Revell (matthew.revell) wrote :

Greg, thanks for reporting this bug. As you can see our legal team are aware of this.

Thanks again!

Revision history for this message
Jonathan Lacson (71kr117) wrote :

Please sue Apple, Canonical. It could be like the Apple vs. Microsoft case and we could get iPod syncing (official,) and iTunes for Linux!

Revision history for this message
booch (berber-it) wrote :

I hope Canonical legal team will do investigation about this case.

Revision history for this message
dinamic (dinamic6661) wrote :

grow up! this is not a bug.

Revision history for this message
booch (berber-it) wrote :

This is not a bug, but community must know about. And to support Canonical.

Revision history for this message
Jonathan Lange (jml) wrote :

Hello everyone,

Thanks for your concern. Our legal team are looking into it.

However, we Launchpad developers prefer to use our bug tracker for tracking defects in our actual software. You know, things we can fix by changing Python code. Thus, I'm marking this bug "Invalid". It may well be a problem (although I am not a lawyer and refuse to speculate), but it is not actually a valid bug.

jml

Changed in launchpad:
status: New → Invalid
Revision history for this message
plun (plun) wrote :

Well... apparently you have missed bug no 1

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1

"actual software" ??

Revision history for this message
Farmfield (farmfield) wrote :

LOL@Plun

My first thought when I read it as well... I would like to see JML try change it's status as 'invalid' too... xD

Revision history for this message
David Hughes (dghughes) wrote :

 @ plun haha buuurn!

Revision history for this message
Greg A (etulfetulf) wrote :

Hi everyone, I originally reported this bug.

Canonical are definitely now aware of the community's interest in this issue, continuing to comment here is not going to change their planned course of action.

I suggest we take our discussion back to the Ubuntu Forums: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=10003509

Revision history for this message
Tralalalala (tralalalala) wrote :

dinamic wrote 4 hours ago:
"grow up! this is not a bug."

I couldn't agree more!

What was Greg thinking when he reported this "bug" and why have 59 people already clicked on "This bug affect me too"? People, you're NOT affected by this bug! Apple using the name Launchpad really doesn't harm you in any way.

I've watched the announcement of Mac OS X Lion and when Launchpad was presented I didn't think: "WTF? They're using the name Launchpad! Now Canonical has to sue Apple!" If Apple wants to use this name, just let them use it. Our Launchpad is a bug-tracking system and Apples Launchpad is a launcher that gives you access to installed applications. Both products are completely different. Canonical has the right to complain when Apple develops a bug-tracking system and calls it Launchpad, but now both Launchpad products are completely different products and this shouldn't be any problem.

If Canonical is going to sue Apple because of this nonsense, they're just lowering themselves to the level of all those other companies which like to sue everything and everyone.

If Canonical is going to sue Apple, I'll immediately remove Ubuntu from my PC and won't use it again.

If Canonical is going to sue Apple, I hope Apple will sue Canonical for developing a clone of Mac OS X (window controls are copied from Mac OS X, the Netbook Edition copied the Dock of Mac OS X) and providing a way to manage iDevices using reverse engineered libraries.

Revision history for this message
waspbr (notaduck) wrote :

Okay, let's just move on then.

Though probably not intentional, this has become the very definition of " troll bait ". Let canonical worry about its brand and patents.

Revision history for this message
Matthieu Baerts (matttbe) wrote :

"If Canonical is going to sue Apple, I hope Apple will sue Canonical for developing a clone of Mac OS X (window controls are copied from Mac OS X, the Netbook Edition copied the Dock of Mac OS X"
Ok it's not the problem here but I just want to note that everything which is nice/pretty/useful/... in a distribution has NOT be created by Apple... the idea of a Dock has not be "created" by Apple just like window controls, purple wallpapers, black notifications, etc.
Please do not do like Fedora, e.g. with docks: Cairo-Dock has been removed from official repositories just because it can look like the dock of MacOS X...

About the "bug", yeah, it's maybe not the best idea to sue Apple except if it's only to have a free advertising :P

PS: if Apple sue Canonical, Compiz devs could sue Microsoft: some effects on Windows Vista/7 look like some of those that have been created by Compiz devs... :)

Revision history for this message
Matthieu Baerts (matttbe) wrote :

"Though probably not intentional, this has become the very definition of " troll bait ". Let canonical worry about its brand and patents."
Yep, sure!
It's a problem of the private company, not the Ubuntu community.

Martin Albisetti (beuno)
Changed in ubuntu:
status: New → Invalid
Revision history for this message
TToft (ttoft) wrote :

Much can be said about this topic but it is just as much a bug as bug #1. Had it been the other way around Apple would sue Canonical all the way to hell (I've heard they actually run OSX down there as part of their punishment).

But Canonical is NOT apple ($$$$$$$) so nothing is going to happen. Relax.

+1 this bug affect me.

Revision history for this message
Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar) wrote :

As the bug description states that Launchpad is a registered trademark of Canonical, Canonical has the right to sue Apple for this. However, the Dock and Left-side window buttons are not trademarks of Apple, so IMHO Canonical is on the safer side.

Its up to Canonical if they want to sue Apple or not, so it would be better if we stop commenting on this bug report and move this discussion to ubuntuforums.org .

Revision history for this message
রিং (toshazed) wrote :

This bug should be fixed very shortly.

Revision history for this message
Pookito pookito (pookito) wrote :

Isn't it amazing how apple among other companies sue the living hell out of other companies because of trade mark violation, yet when it comes to them, they feel like they can burst right in and take what they want and move on. Just a thought.

Revision history for this message
booch (berber-it) wrote :

>Tralalalala wrote on 2010-10-23:
>If Apple wants to use this name, just let them use it.

You are completely wrong. Launchpad it's trademark and Canonical can't give Apple to use this name.
May be in next release Jobs will wants to name his new operation system like Mac OS Ubuntu ??

So what? If Apple wants, they could go to sue with Canonical, but will never win.
Bad situation.

Revision history for this message
Otacon1987 (orfeo18) wrote :

Please stop the community's flame: they're saying non-sense things.
Apple is damaging Canonical's Launchpad image because:
1 - Lanchpad is a Canonical's Trademark (it means that noone can call his product "Launchpad");
2 - Canonical has got the right to sue Apple because of [1];
3 - If Launchpad will be ... launched ... try to search on google "Launchpad". What is the first result?

If Canonical doesn't make Apple, Microsoft, ... respect Canonical's rights, then noone will respect Canonical.
Ubuntu is a greath reality, so make them feel our voices. Spread the word, fight against Microsoft and Apple and anyone else that want to dig Canonical.

Revision history for this message
Michele Renda (mic-renda) wrote :

I don't think there must be no sue.

In Ubuntu there is a package called unity (a graphical interface designed for Ubuntu Netbook Edition), but it could violate the trademark of http://unity3d.com/

It is not a problem because they are are on different markets (mini pc interface and graph engine).
So in the same way, Ubuntu Launchpad collaboration platform and Apple Launchpad can live together because they are target as different products.

Revision history for this message
Michele Renda (mic-renda) wrote :

I don't think there must be no sue. -> I think there must be no sue.

Revision history for this message
Mark Fraser (launchpad-mfraz) wrote :

Think of it this way, if Apple launched a product called Launchpad before Canonical and trademarked it, wouldn't they sue Canonical for using the name Launchpad?

Revision history for this message
Leon Kaiser (literalka) wrote :

@Michele

They may be on different markets, but the general public is ignorant enough to think otherwise. They see the 'tech' market as all one market.

Revision history for this message
Leon Kaiser (literalka) wrote :

@Tralalalala

Oh, grow up. Apple literally put themselves into this situation through _copyright violation_. If you want to stop using Ubuntu because of this, frankly, I think the community is better off.

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