[Wikimedia-l] It's time to reclaim the community logo

[tomasz at twkozlowski.net]

Federico Leva (Nemo) wrote on September 26, 2013, 15:22 UTC:

> Trademark don't self-enforce, they are "enforceable" as long as  
> someone believes to you when you use them as threat tools. So yes, I  
> suppose they might.

... and given that the WMF just hired the infamous Jones Day bullies  
as their representative before the OHIM to fight an opposition filled  
by their own volunteers (me and Federico), I don't think it's an  
unfair view.

I suggest that everyone interested in the subject read  
<http://www.dmlp.org/blog/2009/sam-bayard/thoughts-jones-day-blockshopper-settlement> and related links for an overview of a 2009 Jones Day lawsuit against a start-up company Blockshopper.com which Paul Levy called "a new a new entry in the contest for grossest abuse of trademark law to suppress speech the plaintiff doesn’t  
like".

I'm aware that, being a party of the opposition, I shouldn't really  
comment on the WMF's litigation tactics, but it still leaves me wonder  
about the point of hiring, as some say, "one of the worst trademark  
abusers in history", as their representative in this case.

           Tomasz