MS just rips everyone off
Posted on September 28, 2005
Filed Under Computing |
See the Ubuntu - MS Spaces logo likeness.
First they ripped off the author of DOS, then stole Apple’s GUI code (I’ve talked to someone that has seen the duplicate code, they didn’t even bother to take out references to Apple in the comments) Then there was embrace and extend standards, which then broke the standards. How can we forget using GPL’ed code without giving back. Now, some unoriginal chap goes and MSN’ifies the Ubuntu (trademarked) logo. They did not even transpose the image, so the heads are in the exact some positions around the origin. It’s just sad.
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5 Responses to “MS just rips everyone off”
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Not to back Microsoft up or anything, but those do not look to be exactly the same. Sure the heads are in the same place and the circle created by joining hands makes them look very similar, but by no means is one a direct copy of the other.
Ubuntu should be proud that thier logo inspired an MSN logo. After all, everyone finds insperation somewhere and incorporates different ideas into their work. At best it might be called a derivitive work.
But to say that was a rip off is not accurate. It wasn’t just a copy and paste, some actual work and rendering went into MSN’s logo.
> “At best it might be called a derivitive work.”
Derivative work of a Trademark is illegal. Just ask Apple’s lawyers.
> “ssome actual work and rendering went into MSN’s logo.”
Like is said, they MSNifed it with the MSN bubble people. But the shape and outline are the same. Come on… what are the odds that independent work resulted in a configuration of the heads to be identical?
“At best” means I think it has enough original ideas and work to be considered original.
I have a hard time dealing with proprietary works and copyright. That doesn’t mean I don’t believe in the ideas of copyright or proprietary. I don’t believe that everything should be “free”.
What I think everyone needs to be careful about is when a few lines and circles become an all encompassing work which excludes all other possible pieces of work. Is any logo of 3 people like images joined in some way a derivative of Ubuntu’s?
What original ideas? The MSN bubble people, they have been around for years… they were just rotated to an overhead view, arranged in the exact same locations and the arms were attached.
This has nothing to do with IP or copyright. A trademark is a symbol or word(s) that is registered to represent a company or product. Much in the same way you cannot register the name of an existing company, you cannot use any of its identifing marks either. The differences may not be obvious but IP, copyright, and trademarks are 3 different domains.
They are “MSN People” which are 3D rendered and shaded vs. Ubuntu’s flat arc and circle design which has distinct colourings that MSN’s logo does not. It is obvious that it is an MSN product. Since MS’ logo is for a “community” web site the logo of people holding hands doesn’t take a person of high IQ to develop.
Perhaps next you’ll be saying anyone who chooses to have people holding hands is offending Ubuntu’s trademark, which is a load of crap. How a trademark, copyright, IP or any other registered and protected idea could be 3 people holding hands is beyond me. These things need more substance than some underlying abstract concept.
That’s the itch for me. Something that monopolizes an idea but is not specific. I’ll use a patent example to explain, “We discovered clicking on a group of pixels which includes zero pixels with a pointing device attached to a computer powered by electrons.” We’d all have to license our computers from this IP owner.
For a trademark, could you imagine someone trademarking the letter ‘A’ or naming their company ‘The’. I’m sure there are rules about these specific instances, but still common sense is required and common sense can only be interpreted, not defined.