Mercenary coding (Re: Is there a header conflict?)

[Dag-Erling Smorgrav]

swear at attbi.com (Gary W. Swearingen) writes:
> Following on the clue of Viktor, http://www.uspto.gov shows us that
> "FreeBSD" is a registered trademark of Walnut Creek CDROM, which using
> the kepler.ss.ca.gov site shows as another "suspended" California
> corporation.

They were acquired by BSDI.

>               I noted once that Walnet Creek was sold to the
> www.simtel.net owner,

No, they only sold them the FTP server (ftp.cdrom.com).

>                       but BSD Mall's site claims to be the former Walnut
> Creek CDROM.

That is correct, CDROM production and web store were split out into a
separate company when WRS bought BSDI.

>               I don't doubt it, but their site makes no obvious claim
> of FreeBSD trademark ownership.  I'd think that would be a necessary
> part of trademark protection requirements.  So who owns the trademark?

I believe it was supposed to be transferred to the Foundation at the
time of the WRS acquisition, but TESS (USPTO search engine) shows that
it is still registered to Walnut Creek.

DES
-- 
Dag-Erling Smorgrav - des at ofug.org