RE: Microsoft legal threats, name change

"WINDOwlS"  (wind owls)
What about that one?

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of Alex Russell
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 1:19 AM
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: [NW-Devel] Microsoft legal threats, name change

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(cc-ing the ng-dhtml list to ensure distribution to the broader DHTML
world)

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to let everyone know that it looks like I'm going to finally
have to hand over the NW domain to Microsoft. I received the first C&D from
them years ago, and I've managed to keep it something of a secret, since I
didn't want it to affect toolkit development in any way. 

While I strongly feel that their claims are frivolous and baseless, I can't
afford to win, loose, or even draw in this fight. All of the major systems
that use the word "*indows" in their names have either given in or been
otherwise forced to change in the past year, and the odds of an outlying
data point such as myself being able to effect a different outcome are near
zero. I have been able to hold MS off for almost 3 years regarding this
issue, and I think that's something of a victory in itself, but not much of
a consolation.

A new name will be forthcoming (suggestions?). Once we have a new name,
we'll have to phase out use of the name "netWindows" almost immediately.

I apologize to anyone and everyone for the headaches this will cause.

It's the most frustrating thing in the world to have to blink first, because
you know that if you don't you'll just be turned into dust on the heel of
the other guy. Neither the case law nor the facts support Microsoft's
assertions regarding their rights to my domain, but I also have to eat.

Sorry guys, I feel like I'm letting everyone down, but we've got more
important things to do that piss away momentum for the project on a nuisance
lawsuit which I don't have the funds to win.

Regards

- --
Alex Russell
[email protected]   BD10 7AFC 87F6 63F9 1691 83FA 9884 3A15 AFC9 61B7
[email protected] F687 1964 1EF6 453E 9BD0 5148 A15D 1D43 AB92 9A46
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