UK-based cloud service provider Our Holdings is seeking to gain a trademark for the word ‘Python’ in Europe.
However in attempting to register the trademark, several programmers as well as the non-profit organisation the Python Software Foundation (PSF) have strongly opposed the move, claiming it would prohibit them from using the free language of the same name.
According to the PSF, if the trademark is awarded to Our Holdings, European companies offering hosted services that give access to the Python language would be put under threat as the firm could accuse them of infringing the trademark.
Our Holdings has owned the python.co.uk domain name since it registered it in October 1997. In a blog post the PSF has asked for European users to help put a stop to Our Holding’s application and said it would be submitting its own claim to the name.
The PSF appears to have been unaware of trademarking issues prior to this event.
“At that time we weren’t looking a lot at trademark issues, and so we didn’t get that domain,” it added.
Managing director of Our Holdings Tim Poultney said that he had been in touch with the PSF last year about applying for a trademark on the logo for python.co.uk, but since then the organization has been slow to react.
The PSF however has said it has contacted the company repeatedly but has had no luck in holding any form of dialogue with it.
According to the European trademark database, the PSF applied for a trademark on the word ‘Python’ on February 6th 2013. However Our Holdings applied for it in April 2012, pre-dating the PSF’s application. A total of 16 companies have now attempted to register a trademark for ‘Python’, the first dates back to 1964.
As part of the PSF’s opposition to the broad trademark application, it is calling on companies to send it letters with examples of their use of the programming language.