Trademark
The OpenStreetMap Foundation owns the Trademarks for the OpenStreetMap Logo in the UK. An application for European trademark for the name 'OpenStreetMap' is also in hand. Historically a number of trademark applications have been made and this page details all known applications and their current status.
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Trademarks
The OpenStreetMap Foundation owns a UK trademark for the OpenStreetMap logo.
History
OpenStreetMap logo application (UK)
Application number 2500155 for the OpenStreetMap logo was filed at the UK Intellectual Property Office on 17 October 08. The original applicant was Steve Coast.
It passed examination and was published on the 21st November.
There was subsequently an agreement by Steve Coast at the November 2008 board meeting that it should be transferred to the Foundation. It was also stated at the November board meeting that the application was likely to fail.
The application was still in Steve Coast's personal name as of 19th Jan 2009 when Peter Miller lodged an 'Intention to Object' to provide an addition month for the application to be transfer to the foundation as agreed.
On the 19 January 2009 it was reported that the OSMF Secretary was working with a trademark law firm to get the legal ownership records updated with an update expected 'by the end of the week'.
The trademark application was approved by the IPO on 27 February 2009.
Steve Coast was still shown as the proprietor of the trademark on 07 July 2009.
The trademark assignment was signed by Steve Coast at the State Of The Map 2009 conference on 12 July 2009 and as of 15 July 2009 the trademark as been shown by the IPO as belonging to Openstreetmap Foundation.
OpenStreetMap name application (EU)
Application number E7366859 [1] for the OpenStreetMap name (in English and Spanish) was filed with the EU Intellectual Property Office on the 3rd November 2008. The application was made in Steve Coast's personal name.
It was agreed by Steve Coast at the November 08 board meeting that it should be transferred to the Foundation. It was also stated at the November board meeting that the application was likely to fail.
The trademark application was handed over to the OSM Foundation secretary during December 2008.
On 19 January 2009 the application was in Steve Coast's personal name. On inquiry is was reported that the OSMF Secretary was working with a trademark law firm to get the legal ownership records updated with an update expected 'by the end of the week'.
On 07 July 2009 Steve Coast was still shown as the applicant for the trademark on the EU Intellectual Property Office's records.
The Foundation is still working with the legal representative to have the EU Intellectual Property Office applicant name records changed.
OpenStreetMap name application (UK)
Application number 250154 for the OpenStreetMap name was filed by Steve Coast at the UK Intellectual Property Office on the 15th October in his own name and has been examined.
There was subsequently an agreement by Steve Coast at the November 08 board meeting that ownership of the application should be transferred to the Foundation. It was also stated at the November board meeting that the application had failed.
The trademark application process was 'handed over to the OSM Foundation secretary' during December 2008.
On the 19 January 2009 records showed that the application was in Steve Coast's name.
On the 07 July 2009 Steve Coast was shown as the proprietor on the IPO web site.
On 19 January 2009 it was reported that the OSMF Secretary was working with a trademark law firm to get the legal ownership records updated with an update expected 'by the end of the week'.
On 8 July 2009 the trademark was shown as 'refused' on the IPO website with Steve Coast as applicant. It is understood that it failed because it was considered to be a descriptive name for the project and as such could not protected in this way.
Community Concern
Concern was expressed in late 2008 within the OpenStreetMap community when it emerged that Steve Coast was the personal applicant for the OpenStreetMap trademark[2]. It then emerged that he also still owned some key domain names[3] and was handling discussions in relation to the Open Data License on behalf of the Foundation with the same lawyers who had advised the commercial company in the 'hostile takeover' of Twiki [4]. The issue was described as 'a storm in a tea-cup'[5], as 'a mistake'[6]. Steve and the board reassured the community that the trademarks and domain names were in the process of be transferred promptly. Control of domains and Trademarks have subsequently all been handed over to Foundation. EU trademark legal paperwork is ongoing (as of August 2009), but it is already owned by the Foundation.
