KDE Apps name trademarks

[Jack]

On 2020.07.08 14:20, Ben Cooksley wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 9, 2020 at 6:09 AM Christoph Cullmann  
> <christoph at cullmann.io> wrote:
> >
> > On 2020-07-08 18:12, Jonathan Riddell wrote:
> > > Recently we've noticed some KDE apps ending up on the Microsoft  
> Store
> > > uploaded by unknown third parties.  Maybe to up some credit score  
> for
> > > their developer account.  Maybe to install bitcoin  miners.  We  
> don't
> > > know the motivations.  Since it's all free software the licence  
> allows
> > > it.
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > have you some links to these applications?
> 
> I believe Jonathan will be referring to
> https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/p/kdiff-3-diff-utility/9ndvvx243rfh?activetab=pivot:overviewtab#
If I follow that link, and click for the US version, I see KDiff3 for  
sale at $4.99.  Does the license actually allow charging?  (I wonder  
how that is split between MS and the uploader.)   I know you can charge  
for media, but this is download, so no media.  It also doesn't seem to  
mention anything about where the source code is available.  I don't see  
any mention of KDE at all, but I suppose that is legal.

I'm curious what happens if someone buys this, and then needs help.  Do  
they go to the uploader?  I doubt it.  Do they go to Microsoft?  I  
doubt it.  If the program hasn't been modified by the uploader to point  
to a different source of help, it probably points back to KDE.

If KDE does officially upload anything to the Window Store, should we  
just upload an official version whenever we see this happen?

> > > One option is to claim Trademark on all our app names.  This isn't
> > > hard, we just add the ™ onto the name anywhere we have it on our
> > > website starting with kde.org/applications [1]. Some apps such as
> > > KOffice have done this in the past anyway.  This doesn't cost
> > > anything, only a registered trademark (which uses the ®. logo)  
> costs
> > > money.  It might give us more ability to take down random people
> > > posting our software on app stores.  It might also make us look  
> more
> > > corporate than we want to look and put off Linux distros from  
> shipping
> > > our software.
> > >
> > > Should we add ™ next to the app names?
> >
> > As other already posted, I don't think this is sufficient nor do I  
> think
> > that is really the direction we should move to. (at least for Kate,  
> I am
> > fine with the status quo).
> 
> I concur with that sentiment.