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Microsoft Backs off of Lindows Suit

Microsoft was suing Linspire, a company making a Linux distribution aimed at being a full Windows replacement, over their use of the name ‘Lindows’. Microsoft didn’t like how much ‘Lindows’ resembled ‘Windows’. During some of the ensuing court battles some judges started to question whether or not ‘Windows’ is even a viable trademark AT ALL. For instance, the original Macintosh was out before Windows 1.0 and it already had visual screen representations of applications and folders that were referred to as ‘windows’. It looks like Microsoft has decided to decline to follow up that line of debate any further and has settled with Linspire fairly nicely. Score one for the little guy?