Demon license?

[Josh Ockert]

This is somewhat off-topic, but I'd like to point out that I'm not the
one raising the issue.

There have been numerous attempts on -questions to paint the advocates
of a new logo as anti-Beastie. Specifically, Ted, you claim that "The
agitators in the FreeBSD project that want to jettison it are falling
all over themselves to carefully explain how that ... really isn't so
strongly identified with FreeBSD." There are no plans to jettison
Beastie, and it has never been claimed that he's not associated with
FreeBSD. Your making this statement is irresponsible behavior and I
for one am going to block the address of anyone who continues on in
this manner.

The logo contest website very specifically says that Beastie will
still be the mascot. From this I conclude one of: a) You have not read
the website and have no idea what you're talking about. b) Are
intentionally trying to start arguments (we call this trolling). c)
Don't know that a mascot is a personified figure associated with
something.

Furthermore, you and some of those sharing your viewpoints have tried
to paint those wishing for a different logo as in the extreme
minority. Personally, I think it's a good idea to create for ourselves
something that can contribute to a public face less open to
misinterpretation while still safeguarding part of the community
culture. I haven't spoken up on it so far because I saw no need to. I
submit that it's entirely possible that there are many like me. Being
more vocal does not make you the majority.

Lastly, I would think that those in "The Project" are very able to
make decisions like this. It is a meritocracy. Having a contest open
to the public gathers opinions from the community. I wouldn't call
that fascist, yet you seem to try to imply that it is.

In short, take a chill pill.

As to the subject of copyright infringement, allowing other
Beastie-like images to be associated with FreeBSD is not copyright
infringement. Gentoo's penguin is not copyright infringement. Stylized
logos that are merely similar do not infringe on eachother. That's
like suggesting that a professional photographer at a wedding owns all
amateur wedding photos taken by friends and family attending the
event. It is not a subject that is copyrighted, or nobody would be
able to paint flowers anymore. It is the image itself. Any work that
is arrived at independently cannot possibly infringe on another's
copyright. So a redrawing of a daemon that is not a copy of Kirk's is
completely legal. (IANAL.. yet. Give me a couple more years and the
MBE though and that'll change).