look what i found!

[el_ricardo]

found in my university's stationary store:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/ricardomilnio/th_DSCN11162.jpg (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/ricardomilnio/DSCN11162.jpg)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/ricardomilnio/th_DSCN1117.jpg (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/ricardomilnio/DSCN1117.jpg)

[tribaal]

Hahaha excellent :)

The burning question now: do they taste good? :)

- Trib'

[el_ricardo]

just tasted like cheap cola tbh, check out the forums on www.ubuntu-trading.com there's a load of really confused people on there thinking it's a linux community

this brand has absolutely no affiliation to canonical, I think it's a bit unfair what they're doing with the trademark, but as someone on the forums pointed out, i think canonical would support this as it's helping third world communities

[CaptainCabinet]

In a way it's advertising our Ubuntu necause it's going to plant the name in peoples heads.
So whenever someone has a can of this cola they'll remember the name Ubuntu and maybe float towards using the distro. :)

[hhhhhx]

cool
:)

[suibhne]

In a way it's advertising our Ubuntu necause it's going to plant the name in peoples heads.
So whenever someone has a can of this cola they'll remember the name Ubuntu and maybe float towards using the distro. :)

Unless it tastes like poop - then poop will forever be associated with ubuntu when the victim comes across it

[CaptainCabinet]

Unless it tastes like poop - then poop will forever be associated with ubuntu when the victim comes across it

Oh yeah good point...:(

[intense.ego]

[QUOTE=el_ricardo;4454277 I think it's a bit unfair what they're doing with the trademark, but as someone on the forums pointed out, i think canonical would support this as it's helping third world communities[/QUOTE]

You are aware that canonical does not own the copyright to the word Ubuntu, but that it is an ancient South African term?

[el_ricardo]

yeah i know it isn't a registered trademark, but the whole site design, typeface, packaging design and colour scheme is basically the same as the ubuntu OS's, which is misleading.

[corney91]

Unless it tastes like poop - then poop will forever be associated with ubuntu when the victim comes across it
Alot of people relate poop to ubuntu anyway because of the colour scheme :p

[suibhne]

'The objective of the Ubuntu trademark policy is to encourage widespread use of the Ubuntu trademarks by the Ubuntu community while controlling that use in order to avoid confusion on the part of Ubuntu users and the general public, to maintain the value of the image and reputation of the trademarks and to protect them from inappropriate or unauthorised use.'


http://www.ubuntu.com/aboutus/trademarkpolicy


HMMMMM- there might be confusion in the eyes of the public - especially if the lettering style is similar as well - which i think it is. Also, since canonical markets t-shirts and the like, this might support any TM infringement claim...

interesting to see where this goes and when that company began selling their product...

[bruce89]

I forgot I have a can of that in my fridge.

My brother gave me a mug from whateverittakes.org, and it has the word all over it.

[DoctorMO]

Well, trademarks are funny things, you can register a trademark in any area, industry or country; it's limited to that specified and I think Canonical only has the Ubuntu trademark (as a name) for software for the whole world. where as the branding colours, shapes and ubuntu font cover the whole world in any industry.

It's best to leave this one to the lawyers to sort out.

[3rdalbum]

So now I can use my Ubuntu box, drinking Ubuntu cola out of my Samuel L Jackson-designed mug which has Ubuntu painted on it!

[banjobacon]

there might be confusion in the eyes of the public - especially if the lettering style is similar as well

How is the lettering similar? Ubuntu's lettering is thick, has rounded corners, and is all in lower case letters. Ubuntu Cola uses a thin font, has pointy corners, and is all in capital letters.

I think confusion is more likely to arise from all the *buntu-branded Ubuntu derivatives than from a cola company.

[barbedsaber]

yay, ubuntu in a can!

[sanderella]

The word Ubuntu existed before the trade mark did. It's a word anyone can use and is becoming increasingly popular.

[renzokuken]

just found it my university shop too.......just about to try it....

tastes a bit like Rola Cola / panda pops......cheap but sugary sweet

[JohnSearle]

In a way it's advertising our Ubuntu necause it's going to plant the name in peoples heads.
So whenever someone has a can of this cola they'll remember the name Ubuntu and maybe float towards using the distro. :)

With most products it's the brand name that sells, rather than the actual product itself. People create brand partisanship, and tend to put down other competing brands. Naomi Kleins No Logo [LINKED] (http://www.naomiklein.org/no-logo) is a good example of that, which really explains why corporations are so protective of their name / logo.

So the question is: shouldn't the Ubuntu community be concerned about companies creating competing brand associations (not competing products)? If widespread adoption of the product is desired, then shouldn't good marketing practices be adopted as well?

I do understand there is irony in espousing freedom, and then restricting the name and such; but don't most social movements have some form of marketing associated with them (e.g. Environmentalism and Greenpeace). Is it wrong to view good marketing practices within a "brand" society as necessary, or should we be setting our standards higher?

- John