Canonical holds the trademark and right to the name “Launchpad” according to the legal policy placed on the Launchpad website, but that hasn’t stopped Apple from launching their own Launchpad yesterday during the keynote. It looks like we might have a trademark-infringment case on our hands again.
In a pretty witty move, a funny Ubuntu fan thought it would be a lark to submit a bug on the Launchpad website, indicating that it would be a “bug” if Canonical neglects to defend their trademark against Apple.
Apple has a way of working these things out before their products get launched, and given that we won’t be seeing 10.7 until next summer, there’s plenty of time to reach an “agreement.”
We’ve quoted the thread below for your convenience, but if you want to see the original you can get it on the Launchpad website.
The Thread
The Original comment
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/
Canonical’s lawyers didn’t seem to think it was so funny, and responded fairly quickly.
The response
Who made this a bug please?
Amanda
Amanda Brock, General Counsel
Canonical
27 Floor, Millbank Tower
London SW1P 4QP
Ubuntu – Linux for Human Beings
www.canonical.com
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As I was watching the keynote, I was thinking, hmm.. isn't that already trademarked. Seems like some other people thought so to. GO CANONICAL!
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LikeWhat is it with a supposedly brilliant marketing company that cant come up
with their own names?
Worse is the 'I Can do what I do want, give a little cash and its all good' mentality.
What are the odds that Apple would allow someone else to use a product name?
The Iphone name was used already by Cisco I believe was already used.
Worse but par for the course in hypocrisy land is that right now Apple is suing a startup for using the word 'pod'.
Apple has historically filed oppositions against small tech-related businesses attempting to use Pod in their product names. Names that have come under fire include MyPodder, TightPod, PodShow and even Podium.
Its pretty hard to have less morals than Microsoft and to be even bigger hypocrites but Apple always manages to outdo themselves.
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LikeThey may have "arrived at it independently," to steal a phrase from a recent Mad Men episode. I doubt it, but it's a possibility. What blows my mind is that they announce it in spite of knowing it's trademarked already.
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