Gaim changing its name due to legal issues

Usually things like that don't have a retroactive effect. You can't change the name of the product that was already released, that's done deal. Future products will not be called GAIM, however old versions are already released with that name.

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At first I was confused by the article that I began to read on Slashdot. Because the commentors were talking about copyright and secret agreements and "intellectual property" and other jazz.

Then, after seeing this post here, I realized that this is just another shot from AOL. The AOL folks have been trying for years to get rid of any any all references, other than their own to the initials A, I, and M. This is such B and S

I always feel bad when companies, organizations, and individuals fold and agree in situations like this, but I know that they can't tilt at the windmills for very long, especially when those windmills have really expensive lawyers wielding swords!

I think these types of legal battles are so stupid. Many years ago, when I worked at one of the first personal computer stores, there was a company up the street, one of our competitors in electronics. Their name was ComputerLand (spelled that way with no spaces (remember when that was "inovative")). Well, about a mile up the street from them was a company that did not sell hardware or electronics. They were an education company. Their name was BusinessLand (also no space in the name). Well, BusinessLand sued ComputerLand because they had the word "Land" in their name. They didn't win, but both companies had to spend piles of money, I'm sure, to defend their sides of the story. Is this stoopid or what?

Jon

In /dev/null, no one can hear you type...

Ok, Jon I really have to step in, here, and point out that microsoft holds the patent on BS; and thus, will probably object to your attribution of their patented B and S to AOL.

We must, after all, respect microsofts innovations and IP (such as it is).

Even back then, it was hardly a LandMark case.

I'm gonna go to heaven, but I might be late...'cause I'm gonna live forever if the good die young.

I think you're wrong EnigmaOne. I could have sworn that when I would watch "Sesame Street" years and years ago, that they would occasionally have a program and say, "This episode of Sesame Street brought to you by the letters 'B' and 'S'", so I think PBS and Sesame Street might have "prior art" on these letters. I, for one, would not like to upset Cookie Monster or Animal!

Jon

In /dev/null, no one can hear you type...

Here b & s is followed by ball (assuming you are not a city slicker). So you go to [country town] B & S Ball. You go in a ute with lots of beer and spirits, blokes and sheilas go, bands and soloists play, they are all outside, and it stands for
Bachelor and Spinster