Software Freedom Conservancy filed a motion for summary judgement in response to SFLC’s petition to cancel Software Freedom Conservancy’s trademark (noted previously here). The motion is based on various grounds, but the most interesting part of the motion lays out the unclean-hands argument.
The motion states, “SFLC chose the name “Sotware Freedom Conservancy” and filed the legal documents forming the Software Freedom Conservancy, Inc. It then proceeded to provide Conservancy with legal services, including trademark services.”
The motion goes on to say:
After the SFLC filed this action Moglen stated in an interview with the newspaper The Register that he has no problem with the Conservancy name. The Register reports: “ ‘I have been trying for three years to have a conversation about some differences with some former employees,’ …he said that any outcome he could imagine that involves [Conservancy] would have the organization ‘continue to exist and flourish under its existing name.’”… These words, spoken by the Executive Director of the petitioner after it filed the petition to cancel the registration of the Conservancy mark, illustrate that the petition was filed, not because there is any confusion at all, but in an abuse of this legal process, wasting the Board’s time and resources, solely to inflict pain on former SFLC employees by attacking the organization that they are passionate about.
Once can only observe with awe and dismay as this internecine battle plays out.
