Update: Microsoft and Lindows Settle Trademark Case

Microsoft and Lindows Settle Trademark Case

Lindows.com and Microsoft Corp. today jointly announced that a
worldwide settlement has been reached in the trademark infringement
cases between the two companies.

“This case was centered on the fundamentals of international
trademark law and our necessary efforts to protect the Windows
trademark against infringement,” said Tom Burt, corporate vice
president and deputy general counsel for Microsoft. “This
settlement addresses those concerns, and we are pleased that
Lindows will now compete in the marketplace with a name distinctly
its own.”

“We are pleased to resolve this litigation on terms that make
business sense for all parties, said Michael Robertson, CEO of
Lindows, Inc. Over the next few months Lindows will cease using the
term Lindows and transition to Linspire globally as our company
name and primary identifier for our operating system product.”

The settlement agreement resolves all claims in this litigation,
both in the United States and internationally. Terms of the
settlement are confidential.

CNET News: Microsoft Pays to End Lindows Suits

Microsoft will pay upstart Linux seller Lindows $20
million to settle a long-running trademark dispute, according to a
regulatory document filed Monday.

“In exchange for the payment, Lindows–which recently renamed
most of its products ‘Linspire’ to work around European trademark
suits–will give up the Lindows name and assign related Web domains
to Microsoft, according to the registration statement Lindows filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission…”

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