Trademark Terms

Protecting Trademarks

In order to protect a trademark, the trademark holder must consider two important aspects:

• passing off: Whether someone uses the Python logo or something similar such that people could be confused by an association to Python where there isn't one.

• dilution: Associating something that doesn't look exactly like the logo with Python (thereby making it harder to argue for the association between Python and our specific logo).

Examples

• Someone is using something other than the Python mark to represent Python:

  This isn't a problem, since the trademark is not affected.

• Someone is using the Python mark to represent something other than Python.

  If the Python mark is used to market similar goods or services as the ones for which the Python mark was registered, but different from the ones the PSF markets, this is a problem.

  If the Python mark is used to market different goods or services than the ones for which the Python mark was registered, this is not a problem for the trademark.

• Something related to Python uses a mark that is related to the Python mark.

  This can be a problem, if the related mark causes a dilution of the Python mark.

Trademark Classes

We currently have the PYTHON text mark registered in the US for these classes as mark [http://tarr.uspto.gov/tarr?regser=serial&entry=76044902 76044902]:

• IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Computer programs and downloadable computer programs that implement an object-oriented computer programming language. FIRST USE: 19951013. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19951013

• IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Providing information relating to an object-oriented computer programming language and its development environment. FIRST USE: 19950718. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19950718

The Python logo is not yet registered in the US. Note: It is not even clear what we mean with Python logo, ie. just the two snakes graphics or the snakes and the text "python" written next to it using the font Flux Regular.

Both the text mark and the logo are currently in preparation of being registered world-wide in a number of countries.

Other Python Trademarks

The USPTO lists quite a few other trademarks using "PYTHON":

• ["http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4004%3Aq34mjn.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=live&p_tagrepl~%3A=PARA1%24LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=python&p_tagrepl~%3A=PARA2%24COMB&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query" TESS Query for live PYTHON registrations]

There are a few cases where the same classes were registered, but for sufficiently different goods or services.