Lindows looks for new name

In a statement posted on the Lindows Web site on Tuesday, company founder Michael Robertson said ongoing overseas lawsuits by Microsoft that challenge the company's name would force Lindows to adopt a new moniker for Europe and other foreign markets. He said the company will reveal the new title next week.

"To assure that we can do business globally, we are in the process of selecting a different name for our Web presence and product name," Robertson wrote. "Our US corporate name will remain Lindows Incorporated, since we have meaningful name recognition and product distribution."

Robertson, founder of digital-music pioneer MP3.com, launched Lindows in 2001 to sell a simplified desktop version of the Linux operating system with an interface similar to Microsoft's Windows. Microsoft responded by promptly suing the company, claiming that the name infringes on the Windows trademark. Lindows argues that the trademark is invalid, because "windows" has a long history as a generic computing term.

The US trademark case is likely to go trial late this year. Meanwhile, the US District Court judge overseeing the case has denied Microsoft requests for an injunction, barring Lindows from using the name.

Microsoft has been more successful, expanding the trademark case overseas. Judges representing Finland, Sweden and the Benelux countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg all have granted injunctions, barring the company from doing business there under the Lindows name. Similar cases are pending in Canada and France.

The US judge recently denied Lindows' request for an order to bar Microsoft from any further overseas trademark actions, saying the court had no jurisdiction over European courts. The ruling means that Lindows has no choice but to temporarily adopt a new name for disputed regions, Robertson said.

He said that when and if Lindows wins the US case, "we plan to approach the State Department and ask them to petition foreign governments to invalidate the windows trademark, as they have done for other generic computing terms."

Meanwhile, Robertson encouraged customers to submit suggestions for a new name via email to temporaryName@lindows.com or through a discussion forum on the Lindows Web site. Current suggestions include "GatesOS" and "I can't believe it's not Windows!"