[GRASS5] [jberry@innovativegis.com: MapCalc trade name]

Roger Bivand rsb at reclus.nhh.no
Thu Nov 9 09:31:10 EST 2000


On Thu, 9 Nov 2000, Markus Neteler wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> On Thu, Nov 02, 2000 at 08:17:52PM +0000, Markus Neteler wrote:
> > Hi again on this topic,
> > 
> > .. we will have to send Mr. Berry some response soon...
> > As I am no native speaker, who could compile some
> > letter for him (less offending etc. as discussed before)?
> > 
> > Bruce, any news from your lawyers?
> 
> still no proposal is there... (hi Rich, hi Bruce).
> 
> Maybe someone else (native speaker?) could write a short letter
> to this list, which we could discuss and finally send to
> Mr. Berry? I think we should react as soon as possible,
> as weeks are already passing by.
> 
> Roger, perhaps you could write a draft letter?
> It seems that we agree to "allow" Mr. Berry to trademark is
> "MapCalc" product if we get a written letter from him that we
> can keep the name "r.mapcalc" for our module without problems.
> I just want to avoid to get troubles from this trademark
> in future.
> 
I'll have a go:

Thanks for getting in touch with the GRASS development team regarding the
use of the generic term "mapcalc" as a trade name. A list of other users
of the same generic term is appended - also from a "Google" search.

As far as GRASS is concerned, we feel that mapcalc, the r.mapcalc program
name, and the associated usages have existed for a long time, and clearly
dominate the search results in numeric terms. Many users of GRASS
associate the term with a particular component program and style of
analysis. Our program system name is, however, GRASS, and this is the name
we feel is most important to us. We feel that the association between the
term mapcalc and a particular style of map analysis is well-established,
and must precede any specific trade name claim.

On the other hand, this term is sufficiently generic for others to have
used it without drawing any reaction from the GRASS community - ILWIS use
it as a function name in their product to do more or less the same kinds
of things. GRASS would therefore probably not suffer from the use of
MapCalc as a trade name by you or others. Since RedHen are already using
the term as a trade name, we suppose that you have weighed off the costs
and benfits of your choice of a generic term for your product.

On balance, your use of the term seems fair, as far as GRASS is concerned.

---------------------------------------


www.chooseclimate.org/flying/mapcalc.html 

http://nephron.com/mapcalc.html (MAP = 1/3(systolic-diastolic)+diastolic)

www.prospect.ns.ca/software.html www.jayceenet.com/mapcalc.htm

www.orst.edu/Dept/IPPC/wea/ (Degree-day mapping calculator:)

www.itc.nl/ilwis/dev/applic/app12.htm (a slope map. The slope map is
calculated by creating a DEM of the catchment area with contour
interpolation, filtering this DEM in x and y direction and performing the
mapcalc statement Sloperad=ATAN((HYP(dx,dy))/pixsize(DEM)).

www.itc.nl/ilwis/dev/applic/app01.htm (Further, with mapcalc, factor maps
are obtained from maps on inundation hazard, rivers, and for altitudes
above 1000m.)

http://www.mpimg-berlin-dahlem.mpg.de/~andy/calc/mapcalc.html (Calculators
for predicting experimental progress of various physical mapping projects)

http://cgi.girs.wageningen-ur.nl/timespan/software/spatialanalyst/mapcalc-
/mapcalc.htm (Map Calculator)



-- 
Roger Bivand
Economic Geography Section, Department of Economics, Norwegian School of
Economics and Business Administration, Breiviksveien 40, N-5045 Bergen,
Norway. voice: +47 55 95 93 55; fax +47 55 95 93 93
e-mail: Roger.Bivand at nhh.no
and: Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of
Gdansk, al. Mar. J. Pilsudskiego 46, PL-81 378 Gdynia, Poland.




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