Get your own OpenMoko T-Shirt

ROB rob at borfo.com
Mon Feb 12 17:05:47 CET 2007


Just for the record, as a 'member of the community' or whatever, I
don't like this.

Sean, you might want to consider keeping tighter control over your
trademarks.  Just because you are opening your phone, you don't have
to open your trademarks for people to use in their own profit making
ventures.  This looks to me like some guy will probably make some
money (even if it's only a couple of Euros) by slapping your trademark
on some cafepress-type site - essentially free-riding on the interest
you guys have created in this project by doing little more that
cutting and pasting your trademarks.  Even if this guy isn't making
much, the site is.

I'd prefer to see you guys make your own t-shirts, and have the money
actually go to support the project.


I think it's important to make a distinction between opening your
source and opening your wallet.  As an avid open source guy, I still
support you guys maintaining control over your trademarks (for profit
making purposes, at least...  When controlling one's trademarks
becomes a means of censorship, my support dwindles significantly, but
that wouldn't be the case here.)

If you're thinking that the community wouldn't support you if you
denied some guy the right to stick your logo on a cafepress t-shirt, I
think you're wrong.  I think that in order for this project, and open
phones generally, to succeed, it will be important for you and FIC to
be able to make a profit - I think it's totally reasonable for you to
maintain control over your ability to capitalize on your marks.  If
anyone should be making a couple of euros from OpenMoko shirts it
should be you guys.

ROB




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