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When software is free, but you still can't use it - Let's GPL trademark law!
Neil McGovern
Patents, copyright and trademarks are sometimes conflated, and can all limit your freedoms to control your computing and lives. For right, we have an answer - copyleft. Patents are being fought on a number of fronts, and work continues. However, trademarks can also seriously hinder progress as well.
Due to some specific clauses in the implementation of trademarks, it's hard to allow people to use the 'brand' without the potential for losing it. We need an easy and understood way of bringing the freedoms the GPL ensures to this third leg of intellectual property law.
This talk sets out the background and problems with trademark implementation, how it's being (mis)used, and thoughts for what we need in the future.