The GNOME project is a well-known free and open-source desktop environment for Linux distros. Gnome is also the name of Groupon’s new proprietary point-of-sale operating system. The two couldn’t be more opposed in ethos, and given the fact that the former has held a registered trademark on its software for the best part of a decade, the GNOME Foundation is understandably upset…
Update: Groupon has just told us it’ll squash this dispute before things escalate. The full statement follows:
“Groupon is a strong and consistent supporter of the open source community, and our developers are active contributors to a number of open source projects. We’ve been communicating with the Foundation for months to try to come to a mutually satisfactory resolution, including alternative branding options, and we’re happy to continue those conversations. Our relationship with the open source community is more important to us than a product name. And if we can’t come up with a mutually acceptable solution, we’ll be glad to look for another name.”
Read more at Engadget.
