[Qgis-psc] Use of and trademarking of the name 'QGIS'

[Otto Dassau]

Hi,

I agree with Tim. Before the latest thread on the lists, I wasn't really
aware, that there could be confusion about the Sourcepole products and the
QGIS project. But I understand that the names QGIS Cloud or QGIS Enterprise
might cause irritations and other problems for the project as described by
Tim below. 

In the case of Sourcepole I also wouldn't see problem with their products
itself. They fills a gap for users and companies that we as an open source
(voluntary) project can't provide - at least not at the moment. 

But as Tim said, it is a general problem, an open door, that anybody can use
the name QGIS for any kind of product - and this is definitely not what I
want. So I also see the need to find a solution for this and support Tim's
suggestions: 

- Trademark QGIS
- Find a solution with Sourcepole (and maybe with others as well?) that we
  all can live with.

Regards
Otto

Am Fri, 5 Jul 2013 09:05:39 +0200
schrieb Tim Sutton <tim at linfiniti.com>:

> Hi Folks
> 
> With the recent announcement from Pirmin about 'QGIS Enterprise' I think it
> would be good to resurface the discussion of trademarking the name 'QGIS'.
> I know Paolo did raise this once before but we did not really progress the
> discussion.
> 
> I know this discussion is going to be a little complicated by a) the fact
> that Marco is one of the fine folks behind Sourcepole and b) there are
> plenty of other precedents of the name 'QGIS' being used for 'unofficial
> products', so please understand I do not wish to be inflammatory in this
> email.
> 
> However it is my position that we should restrict the use of 'QGIS' in
> product names to only those products that are officially products of
> QGIS.org. The use of QGIS in third party products / derivative products is
> for me problematic on a few counts:
> 
> * *it creates confusion* - people will have an automatic expectation that
> the project in question is freely available and part of the standard
> offerings of QGIS.org. There is also the very likely possibility that we
> start getting misdirected enquiries for third party products arriving on
> our mailing lists and in our inboxes.
> 
> * *it limits our options* - case in point, if we as a project ever decide
> to produce an 'enterprise' version of QGIS, we no longer have the option to
> do so as there is already another product out there with the same name.
> 
> * *it signifies endorsement *- someone using the name 'QGIS' in their
> product is leading the users of that product to believe that it is endorsed
> by QGIS.org which probably isn't the case.
> 
> I think there are plenty of other established reasons why it is a good idea
> for us to control how the name QGIS should be used. In the case of QGIS
> Enterprise (Sourcepole product), I have absolutely no problem that it
> exists, but I do think the names 'QGIS Enterprise' and 'QGIS Cloud' etc
> leave scope for significant confusion amongst our users. People have
> already been asking about 'can they have it, can they have the source' etc.
> and I  would prefer that for any product that carries the QGIS name, the
> answer to these questions should always be an unequivocal 'YES!' since deep
> within the ethos of our project is the concept of a 'GIS for everyone'.
> 
> *What is my suggestion? *
> 
> * I would respectfully ask the Sourcepole team to consider renaming their
> products to something that does not carry in QGIS in the name unless they
> are wholly a product of the QGIS.org project. E.g. Sourcepole GIS,
> Sourcepole Cloud.
> 
> * I think we should pursue the idea of trademarking QGIS, ,QGIS.org and
> require that any product that carries the name originate or be in the
> collective control of the QGIS.org project.
> 
> 
> I think the definition of what is an official QGIS product warrants further
> discussion and I really hope this email starts a healthy and reasoned
> debate on the issue in the spirit in which this message itself is sent.
> 
> Best regards
> 
> Tim