Linux Mark Institute
{{Short description|Organization which administers the "Linux" trademark}}
{{Infobox company
| name = LMI Oregon, LLC
| type = Private
| hq_location = Beaverton, Oregon, US
| homepage = {{URL|www.linuxmark.org}}
}}
The Linux Mark Institute (LMI, fully "LMI Oregon, LLC"{{Cite web|url=https://www.oregoncompanies.org/lmi-oregon-llc|title=LMI OREGON, LLC in Oregon|website=Oregon Companies|access-date=2017-03-31}}) is an organization which administers the "Linux" trademark on behalf of Linus Torvalds for computer software which includes the Linux kernel, computer hardware utilizing Linux-based software, and for services associated with the implementation and documentation of Linux-based products.
Trademark
The Linux trademark is owned by Linus Torvalds in the U.S.,{{US trademark|74560867|Linux US trademark registration}} Germany, the E.U., and Japan for "Computer operating system software to facilitate computer use and operation". The assignment of the trademark to Torvalds occurred after a lawsuit against attorney William R. Della Croce Jr., of Boston, who had registered the trademark in the US in September 1995{{r|resolved}} and began in 1996 to send letters to various Linux distributors, demanding ten percent of royalties from sales of Linux products.{{r|iw}} A petition against Della Croce's practices was started,{{r|action}} and in early 1997, WorkGroup Solutions, Yggdrasil, Linux Journal, Linux International, and Torvalds appealed the original trademark assignment as "fraudulent and obtained under false pretenses".{{cite news |title=Action Taken on Linux Trademark |issue=35 |date=1 March 1997 |first=Phil |last=Hughes |newspaper=Linux Journal |url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/2098}} By November, the case was settled and Torvalds owned the trademark.{{cite news |first=Marjorie |last=Richardson |title=Ownership of Linux Trademark Resolved |url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/2559 |newspaper=Linux Journal |issue=43 |date=1 November 1997}}
History
LMI originally charged a nominal sublicensing fee for use of the Linux name as part of trademarks,{{cite news
| author = Neil McAllister
| title = Linus gets tough on Linux trademark
| url = http://www.infoworld.com/article/2671387/operating-systems/linus-gets-tough-on-linux-trademark.html
| work = InfoWorld
| date = 2005-09-05
| access-date = 2016-09-02
}} but later changed this in favor of offering a free, perpetual worldwide sublicense.{{cite web
| url = http://www.linuxmark.org
| title = Linux Mark Institute
| access-date = 2008-02-24
| quote = LMI has restructured its sublicensing program. Our new sublicense agreement is: Free — approved sublicense holders pay no fees; Perpetual — sublicense terminates only in breach of the agreement or when your organization ceases to use its mark; Worldwide — one sublicense covers your use of the mark anywhere in the world
}}
LMI was headquartered in Monterey, California until at least 2005.{{Cite web|url=http://www.linuxmark.org/forms/linux_licence_doc.html |title=Linux Sublicense Agreement |website=www.linuxmark.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041009214636/http://www.linuxmark.org/forms/linux_licence_doc.html |archive-date=2004-10-09 |url-status=dead |access-date=2005-10-09 }}{{Cite web|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/140670/|title=Changes at the Linux Mark Institute|date=June 22, 2005|website=LWN.net|access-date=2017-03-31}} Since at least 2009 it was headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon.{{Cite web|url=http://www.linuxfoundation.org/programs/legal/trademark/sublicense-agreement |title=Sublicense Agreement {{!}} The Linux Mark Institute |website=www.linuxfoundation.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905082428/http://www.linuxfoundation.org/programs/legal/trademark/sublicense-agreement |archive-date=2009-09-05 |url-status=dead |access-date=2017-03-31 }}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|www.linuxmark.org}}
{{Linux}}
Category:Trademark law organizations
Category:Organizations based in Oregon
Category:Organizations based in California
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