[Koha] Plea for help from Horowhenua Library Trust re: Koha

[Koustubha Kale]

2011/11/22 Joann Ransom <jransom at library.org.nz>

> As I am sure most of you are aware, Horowhenua Library Trust is the birth
> place of Koha and the longest serving member of the Koha community. Back in
> 1999 when we were working on Koha, the idea that 12 years later we would be
> having to write an email like this never crossed our minds. It is with
> tremendous sadness that we must write this plea for help to you, the other
> members of the Koha community.
>
> The situation we find ourselves in, is that after over a year of battling
> against it, PTFS/Liblime have managed to have their application for a
> Trademark on Koha in New Zealand accepted. We now have 3 months to object,
> but to do so involves lawyers and money. We are a small semi rural Library
> in New Zealand and have no cash spare in our operational budget to afford
> this, but we do feel it is something we must fight.
>
> For the library that invented Koha to now have to have a legal battle to
> prevent a US company trademarking the word in NZ seems bizarre, but it is
> at this point that we find ourselves.
>
> So, we ask you, the users and developers of Koha, from the birth place of
> Koha, please if you can help in anyway, let us know.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jo.
>
> --
> Joann Ransom RLIANZA
> Head of Libraries,
> Horowhenua Library Trust.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
Joann,
This is preposterous behavior on the part of a greedy company.  I strongly
denounce this approval of Koha trademark in NZ.

If there is any way this can reach the Trademark approving authority in NZ,
I would like to appeal to them to reconsider the trademark approval. Koha
is a open source software from birth. The rightful owners of Koha trademark
should be the Koha community and the community has reposed the
responsibility of holding such ownership to HLT. So HLT doubly qualifies
for holding the Trademarks firstly as the place that gave birth to Koha ( &
gave it to the world ) and secondly as stated above, as the body chosen by
the Koha community to hold Koha related Trademarks and legal rights.

We stand firmly behind HLT and will do all in our power to help. I have
already sent a small donation through paypal towards the Koha Trademark
fund. I urge all community members (and even others interested in open
source software) to donate as much as they can.

If you think a letter campaign to the Trademark approving authority in NZ
might help in this battle, lets organize one.

Please let us know in what other ways we can help.

Regards,
Koustubha Kale
Anant Corporation

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