Dennis Kaarsemaker

Python trademark at risk in Europe: The python foundation need your help!

There is a company in the UK that is trying to trademark the use of the term "Python" for all software, services, servers... pretty much anything having to do with a computer.

In my not so humble opinion this is rather ridiculous. Python is the programming language originally created by Guido van Rossum and now maintained by a large community. Not some currently not-existing product by a british company.

According to our London counsel, some of the best pieces of evidence we can submit to the European trademark office are official letters from well-known companies "using PYTHON branded software in various member states of the EU" so that we can "obtain independent witness statements from them attesting to the trade origin significance of the PYTHON mark in connection with the software and related goods/services." We also need evidence of use throughout the EU.

So it's incredibly easy for any company using Python to help out and you should feel ashamed for yourself if you don't do it. At Booking.com we use python quite a bit (internal django apps, yum, mockbuild, mailman, func and a host of scripts for example) so I just sent our letter to the PSF. Hope it helps!