search

SavchenkoValeriy / memrise.el

Emacs Memrise integration
GNU General Public License v3.0
2 stars 0 forks source link

Access to proprietary network Memrise and Memrise trademark #35

Closed gnusupport closed 5 years ago

gnusupport commented 5 years ago

Dear Savchenko, I know you are doing good, but let me give you my viewpoint. GNU Emacs is free software, and we strive to drive people to free software by its definition, you surely know what it is.

You made a package that access third party server and proprietary network. Such package while free software is not driving users to freely usable resources such as information from Memrise website.

Memrise company prohibits all kinds of reusage of their information: https://www.memrise.com/terms/

It is simply not compatible to free software movement. Making a package that drives users to such non-free network is not a favor, not a benefit. You are making free software users dependent on Memrise network.

Do you know that Memrise is a trademark? http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4802:16mr0u.2.1

Infringing on their trademark is illegal in many countries and could cause consequences not only for you but also users and forkers of this software. I think it is also against Github terms, and it is for sure infringing on Memrise trademark. They have probably registered it not only in USA but also in UK, and it is valid also without registration in many countries. Choice to make a package name same as somebody's trademark is not wise. At least you could remain anonymous with your name, to protect your identity. Think about it.

Overall, I will not touch this software as you drive users to non freely usable resources and proprietary network.

SavchenkoValeriy commented 5 years ago

@717g301github As it was pointed out on reddit there are dozens of packages that are clients for many proprietary networks and products. Companies like GitHub, stackoverflow, reddit, Memrise even though private do good by creating communities and providing (among others) free service. I prefer supporting such companies and that is my stance. If Memrise asks me to remove this package, of course, I will do so.

As for your position, I do respect it. However, as you are free to use (or not use) any piece of software of your choice, I am free not to follow paradigms of "free software only".

I consider further conversation unnecessary and political and, thus, close this issue.