
SFLC Files Bizarre Legal Action Against Its Former Client, Conservancy - JoshTriplett
https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2017/nov/03/sflc-legal-action/
======
floofyfloofer
This boggles the mind, and the lack of communication makes it feel like the
work of a new lawyer used to corporate law, where the rules are to strike
first and communicate later.

Outside of new counsel, we might be able to get more insight into the issue
when the SFLC's fall conference [0] recordings are posted next week [1]. It
does include mention of trademark squatting, after all.

The naming of SFC / SFLC was always a bit confusing, but that's a reason for
better marketing, not a shot across the bow. I've met some of the SFLC folks,
and the LF angle seems ridiculous on the face of it, as I don't see Eben
Moglen (previously RMS's lawyer), selling out to the LF.

0:
[http://softwarefreedom.org/events/2017/conference/](http://softwarefreedom.org/events/2017/conference/)

1:
[https://softwarefreedom.org/events/2017/conference/live/](https://softwarefreedom.org/events/2017/conference/live/)

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mjw1007
There's some discussion at
[https://lwn.net/Articles/738046/#Comments](https://lwn.net/Articles/738046/#Comments)
.

One angle: a few weeks ago SFLC announced that it's starting a programme to
support individual free software projects creating their own legal entity,
rather than using an umbrella organisation like SFC or SPI, and strongly
implying that it believes the time for such umbrella organisations is past:
[https://www.softwarefreedom.org/blog/2017/sep/21/new-era-
non...](https://www.softwarefreedom.org/blog/2017/sep/21/new-era-nonprofits/)

Someone on the LWN thread suggests that this means they're treating SFC as
competition, explaining the trademark action.

It occurs to me that it's also possible that SFLC wants SFC to stop existing
for some other reason, and this new programme and the trademark action might
be independent steps taken towards that end.

------
vanattab
There is clearly more to this story then just a trademark dispute. Can anyone
shed some light on this?

~~~
ShaneCurcuru
I've been blogging on the facts, with sources wherever possible:

[https://communityovercode.com/2017/11/legal-issues-
software-...](https://communityovercode.com/2017/11/legal-issues-software-
freedom/)

And previous posts on the basics and a timeline. It's complicated - both
because trademark law is complicated, and because there are clearly
personalities involved who have a long history together.

