Bravemark allows brand identity designers to create interactive online brand pages with downloadable assets in 30 minutes or less without using any code. We are changing how brand identity designers present and hand off their work.

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174 AI Tools To Try

Work smarter, not harder The world of is booming, and it’s about to get even better. We’re all fascinated by AI, and if you have a computer at home, chances are you’ve seen some of its potential in action. artificial intelligence In the next few years, we’ll see more companies using AI in their products and services than ever before. But what does it mean for you? What can you do with artificial intelligence? We all want to be more productive, right? And if you’re like me, then you’re probably using a lot of tools to help you get there. But what if I told you that there are free and paid AI tools that can take your productivity to the next level? What if I told you that those tools are available for free? Well, I’d be lying. But don’t worry — you can find them here. I’ve got some great tips for you! Here are the top nine free AI tools that everyone should know: 1. GFP-GAN — Photo Restoration GFP-GAN (Generative Flows for Photo Restoration) is an AI tool for photo restoration that uses a generative adversarial network (GAN) to repair damaged or degraded photos. GANs consist of two neural networks: a generator and a discriminator. The generator network is trained to generate new images that are similar to the original photo, while the discriminator network is trained to distinguish between the generated images and the original photo. GFP-GAN can be used to restore photos that have been damaged by factors such as noise, blur, or compression. It can also be used to improve the quality of low-resolution images by generating higher-resolution versions. GFP-GAN is suitable for individuals and businesses looking to restore old or damaged photos or to improve the quality of low-resolution images. GFP-GAN has been shown to achieve good results on a variety of tasks, including denoising, deblurring, and super-resolution. It is an active area of research and new developments are likely to continue to improve the performance of GFP-GAN and other photo restoration tools. — Link GFP-GAN 2. DALL-E 2 — Image Creator DALL-E 2 is an AI tool developed by OpenAI that uses a generative model to create original images based on a user’s text input. It is a follow-up to the original DALL-E tool, which was released in January 2021. DALL-E 2 works by using a combination of natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to analyze a user’s text input and generate relevant images. The generated images are based on a wide range of concepts and can be used for a variety of purposes, including creative inspiration and design. DALL-E 2 is easy to use and requires no prior knowledge of AI or NLP. It is available through the OpenAI website and can be accessed for free. DALL-E 2 is suitable for individuals and businesses looking to generate original images or to find creative inspiration. — Link https://openai.com/dall-e-2/ 3. Brandmark.io Brandmark.io is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use, making it a good option for anyone who wants to create professional-quality brand assets without needing specialized design skills. It includes a range of templates and design elements that users can customize to create their own unique brand identity. It is particularly useful for businesses and individuals who want to create a consistent and effective brand identity for their products or services. Some key features of Brandmark.io include: AI-powered design: The platform uses artificial intelligence to automatically generate logo designs based on the user’s input and preferences. Customizable templates: Users can choose from a range of templates and design elements to create their own unique logos and other brand assets. Collaboration tools: Brandmark.io includes features such as real-time collaboration and team management to make it easy for users to work together on brand design projects. Multilingual support: The platform supports multiple languages, making it easy for users to create brand assets in their preferred language. — Link https://brandmark.io/ 4. Deep-image.ai — a New Generation of AI-driven photo It appears that Deep-image.ai is a company that offers AI-driven photo editing and processing tools. It is not clear exactly what the “new generation of AI-driven photo” refers to, but it likely refers to advanced technology and algorithms that are used to improve the quality and appearance of photos. AI-driven photo editing tools use artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to analyze and process images in order to enhance their appearance or correct for defects. These tools can be used to perform a wide range of tasks, such as removing blemishes, adjusting colors and lighting, and improving sharpness and detail. Some AI-driven photo editing tools may also be able to generate new images or styles based on a user’s input, using techniques such as style transfer or deep learning. Without more information, it is difficult to say exactly what the “new generation of AI-driven photo” offered by Deep-image.ai consists of. However, it is likely that this refers to advanced AI-driven photo editing and processing technology that is designed to improve the quality and appearance of photos. — Link https://deep-image.ai/ 5. Beautiful.ai Presentation software that designs for you Beautiful.ai is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use, making it a good option for anyone who wants to create professional-quality presentations without needing specialized design skills. The software includes a range of templates and design elements that users can customize to create their own unique presentations. It is particularly useful for businesses, educators, and individuals who want to create visually appealing and effective presentations for a variety of purposes. Some key features of Beautiful.ai include: AI-powered design: The software uses artificial intelligence to automatically design professional-quality slides based on the user’s content and preferences. Customizable templates: Users can choose from a range of templates and design elements to create their own unique presentations. Collaboration tools: Beautiful.ai includes features such as real-time collaboration, version control, and team management to make it easy for users to work together on presentations. Multilingual support: The software supports multiple languages, making it easy for users to create presentations in their preferred language. Link — https://www.beautiful.ai/ 6. Chat-GPT ChatGPT is a chatbot that uses natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to generate responses to user input. It is based on the GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer) language model, which was developed by OpenAI. ChatGPT is designed to be able to understand and respond to a wide range of inputs in a natural and conversational way. It can be used for a variety of purposes, including customer service, entertainment, and education. To use ChatGPT, users can input a message or question into the chatbot, and it will generate a response based on their understanding of the input and their knowledge of language and conversation. The chatbot is designed to be able to engage in extended conversations, so users can continue to interact with it for as long as they like. — Link https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/ 7. Deep Nostalgia makes your photos animated Deep Nostalgia is a feature offered by the genealogy and history website MyHeritage. It uses artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms to animate still photos of people, making them appear as if they are moving and speaking. Deep Nostalgia has been popular on social media, with many people using it to animate old family photos and share the results with their friends and followers. It has also been used by media organizations and others to bring historical figures and events to life. To use Deep Nostalgia, users can upload a still photo of a person to the MyHeritage website. The feature will then generate a short video that shows the person in the photo moving and speaking. The video is generated using a combination of machine learning algorithms and motion capture data and is designed to give the impression that the person in the photo is moving and speaking in a natural and lifelike way. While Deep Nostalgia can be an entertaining and nostalgic feature, it is important to note that it is generated using artificial intelligence and is not a real video of the person in the photo. It is intended for entertainment and educational purposes only and should not be used to make important decisions or to substitute for real-world research. — Link https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia 8. Pfpmaker.com PFP Maker is a website that allows users to create custom profile pictures (also known as “PFPs”) for use on social media and other online platforms. It offers a variety of tools and resources for creating and editing images, including templates, stickers, and text tools. To use PFP Maker, users can select an image or template from the website’s library and customize it using the available tools. They can add text, stickers, and other elements to create a unique profile picture. Once they are satisfied with their design, users can download the image or share it directly to their social media accounts. PFP Maker is designed to be easy to use and is suitable for people of all skill levels. It can be a useful tool for anyone who wants to create a custom profile picture for their social media accounts or other online profiles. — Link https://pfpmaker.com/ 9. Bigjpg.com BigJPG is a website that allows users to upscale and enhance images using artificial intelligence. It uses machine learning algorithms to analyze and process images, making them appear higher resolution and more detailed. To use BigJPG, users can upload an image to the website and select the level of enhancement they want to apply. The website will then process the image using its and return an enhanced version of the image. Users can download the enhanced image or share it directly to their social media accounts. machine-learning algorithms BigJPG is designed to be easy to use and is suitable for people of all skill levels. It can be a useful tool for anyone who wants to improve the quality of their images, or for anyone who needs to print or display an image at a higher resolution than the original. However, it is important to note that the enhanced images generated by BigJPG are not the same as the original images and may not be completely accurate or faithful to the original. They are intended for entertainment and educational purposes only and should not be used to make important decisions or to substitute for real-world research. — Link https://bigjpg.com/ Conclusion In conclusion, the field of artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing and there is now a wide range of AI tools available that can be used for a variety of tasks and purposes. From productivity and organization tools to video creation and brand design tools like Brandmark.io, the options for using AI to improve efficiency and streamline processes are nearly endless. As the field of AI continues to grow and evolve, it is important to stay informed about the latest developments and consider how they might be able to benefit individuals and organizations. These are just a few examples of the many AI tools that are available, and there are likely many more. It is important to carefully research and evaluate any AI tool before using it, to ensure that it is suitable for the task at hand and that it is used responsibly. . 😇 Thank you so much for reading the article I’ll love to know you as a person feel free to connect with me on at . Linkedin the-anup-das More to read Stop Using Print to Debugging In Python Also published here.

9 Free AI Tools Everyone Needs to Try

From self-driving cars and facial recognition to AI surveillance and GANs, computer vision tech has been the poster child of the AI industry in recent years. With such a collaborative global data science community, the advancements have come both from research teams, big tech, and computer vision startups alike. For all startups, Product Hunt has been a great platform to help get the word out there about your projects and get feedback from the online community. In this article, we’ll cover some of the most-upvoted startups on Product Hunt that have created computer vision software. Most-Upvoted Computer Vision Startups on Product Hunt We looked at the pages on Product Hunt and have compiled a list of the products that have historically received the most upvotes. Many of these products have been featured on large publications and some of these apps have received upwards of 50,000  downloads. computer vision You can check out the list of the following companies Product hunt pages . here 1. Vay Vay is a fitness coach app that uses human motion analysis to track overall physical performance. With the app, users can receive real-time feedback on their exercises, as if they had their own personal trainer. Vay uses computer vision algorithms to track and digitize human movements, transforming movement patterns into data that can be analyzed in a variety of ways. The product has received 80 upvotes on Product Hunt and you can read more about it on . Vay’s website 2. Origin From Shaper Tools, Origin is a computer-vision-powered woodworking tool that was named one of the top tools in 2020 by Popular Woodworking Magazine. Origin gives craftsmen AI-powered automatic cut correction and precise depth control with the help of a specialized ShaperTape that you apply to your workstation. Image via shapertools.com The ShaperTape is used to help the computer vision model detect your workstation and track your movement around it. has received 130 upvotes on Product Hunt. Origin 3. Camma.ai Camma.ai is a computer vision startup that has created an augmented reality note-taking software that allows you to place notes on real objects through your iPhone’s camera. Users take a photo of an object and type a note in their iPhone. When the Camma app sees the object, your note will pop up. Unfortunately for Android users, this app is only available on iOS. Camma.ai has received 143 upvotes and can be downloaded via the . App Store 4. Roboflow Organize Roboflow is a machine learning platform that aims to streamline data preprocessing and the training of computer vision models. With a multitude of annotation formats and file types, it can take an exorbitant amount of time to get images ready for training. Roboflow aims to be the essential architecture between the annotation and training phases that computer vision startups desperately need to improve the and lessen the time spent writing boilerplate code. data annotation process Roboflow has received 215 upvotes and is available for a . free trial 5. Logo Crunch From brandmark.io, Logo Crunch is a computer vision tool that optimizes logos to make them clear and legible at lower resolutions. The tool is suitable for those with no graphic design experience and is completely free to use. Logo Crunch has received 283 upvotes on Product Hunt. You can try it for free here. 6. Nanit For parents everywhere, Nanit has become an essential part of their daily lives. Nanit is a computer vision startup that produces advanced baby monitor cameras which you can view via a mobile app. Nanit’s AI camera can track your baby’s sleeping patterns and records them via the app. The app can give you live alerts telling you when your baby has woken up and if they were able to go back to sleep on their own. has received 362 upvotes on Product Hunt. Nanit 7. MDacne MDacne is a godsend for those prone to acne. With the help of professional dermatologists, MD acne created a computer vision model to scan images of the user’s face to provide a full analysis of their acne and skin condition within just a few seconds. This step is completely free of charge. The computer vision model powering the app has been trained on around 1 million photos and analyzes skin color around the affected area, as well as the size and number of pimples. Next, if users wish, they can order an acne treatment kit from the same company, which is customized to suit their skin condition determined by the app. is FDA approved and has received 428 upvotes on Product Hunt. MDacne 8. Automatic GIF Creator – gifs.com From gifs.com, Automatic GIF Creator is a GIF generator that uses AI to help users make memes. The company also used computer vision models to . You can use the tool completely for free. programmatically generate over 1 million GIFs has received 490 upvotes on Product Hunt. Automatic GIF Creator 9. Supersense Supersense has been developed by alumni from the at MIT. It is a mobile scanner app made for the blind or the visually-impaired. It is powered by AI technology that can scan your surroundings, text, and documents. Using object detection and recognition algorithms, Supersense uses the mobile phone’s camera to identify what the user is pointing at and dictates what it is. In the video review below, you can see how the app works on textbooks, US currency, food products, and even objects in the user’s immediate surroundings. Media Lab The app works as the user’s personal dictation assistant, saying aloud everything the user points the camera at. has received 768 upvotes on Product Hunt and is available on Android and iOS devices. Supersense 10. Facebook Computer Vision Tags While this isn’t exactly a computer vision startup, we wanted to include it in this list because it is one of Product Hunt’s most-upvoted computer vision software of all time. It won the badge for #1 Product of the Day when it was first posted in 2017. Facebook Computer Vision Tags is an that shows how Facebook’s AI models have annotated your images. Many people aren’t aware that Facebook uses computer vision models to automatically add labels to images uploaded on their platform. By using this plugin, can see the specific tags added to your photos. See an example of this below: open-source Google Chrome plugin Image via Github The original creator said their goal for this project was to make people more aware of the information that is constantly being extracted from the images we post on Facebook every day. has received 805 upvotes. Facebook Computer Vision Tags This list gives us a glimpse into the world of possibilities for computer vision startups. We hope that one of these products inspires you, maybe even to start building a new product yourself. Also published on: https://lionbridge.ai/articles/10-most-upvoted-computer-vision-startups-on-producthunt/

10 Computer Vision Startups on Product Hunt with the Most Upvotes

When most people think of NFTs, they think of Bored Ape monkeys and digital artworks, but in reality, it is a universal standard meant for much more. For example, NFTs perfectly represent real-world entities on the blockchain. An NFT can represent the ownership of a real piece of art (such as a painting), allowing it to be traded on the blockchain while the painting remains in a well-protected safe. Similarly, an NFT can represent raw materials, such as the steel needed for car manufacturing, or a container of berries that will eventually be made into smoothies. To these NFTs that represent real entities, we can also assign metadata that provides precise information about the entity associated with the NFT. For instance, in the case of a piece of art, this could include certificates proving authenticity and ownership, or in the case of raw materials, quality statements, and unique attributes like the place of origin. If the metadata is stored on immutable storage, then every change requires updating the metadata reference in the NFT, making the entity's history traceable throughout the blockchain. This history is unchangeable due to the nature of blockchain and immutable storage systems! This brings us to the trace.market project, which we are currently working on in close collaboration with the Swarm Foundation. The system's goal is to allow anyone to freely create NFTs representing physical entities on the Polygon blockchain and to assign metadata to them on Swarm. The blockchain ensures a reliable product history, which can be accessed on Swarm. From the end-users perspective, this looks like scanning a QR code (which contains the NFT ID) on the final product (such as a garment, a box of smoothies, or a car service book) using an app, where they can view the metadata and the complete history. For example, they can verify that the t-shirt was made by recycled textiles, or that the price of refurbished electronics is in balance with its defects. The project uses standard ERC721 NFTs, which are supplemented by two methods for storing and retrieving metadata: function updateMetadata(uint256 tokenId, uint256 swarmHash)
function metadata(uint256 tokenId) The updateMetadata method allows us to modify the metadata assigned to the token. Since the address of content on Swarm is the keccak256 hash of that content, we use uint256 for storage. As the content stored on Swarm is immutable, any change requires us to modify the metadata hash. This ensures that the complete history can be traced on the blockchain. To facilitate traceability, we are also introducing a new event: event metadataUpdated(uint256 indexed _tokenId, uint256 _swarmHash); The event is emitted with every change in metadata, allowing the complete history to be collected based on the tokenId. Since Swarm has its storage incentive system, the storage fee must be covered. This responsibility always falls on the current owner of the NFT. It is in their interest to do so because if the metadata is not accessible, significantly more trust will be needed to sell the product/ NFT. Once the NFT is transferred to a new owner, it then becomes the new owner's responsibility to pay for the storage. During the life cycle of a product, there may be events when the nature of the product changes. For example, locally grown berries are freeze-dried to serve them off-season, or a certified raw material is built into a premium product. Each activity output is detailed in a new NFT, so Industry 5.0’s smart manufacturing can be customized at scale. We refer to these in the system as transformations, and they can occur with the assistance of smart contracts. We distinguish three fundamental types of transformations: 1-1 transformation: In this case, one NFT transforms into another NFT. For example, a container of strawberries becomes a barrel of juice.
1-N transformation (split): In this case, one NFT splits into multiple NFTs. For example, a container of strawberries is divided into two containers, which are then shipped to different countries.
N-1 transformation (merge): In this case, component  NFTs merge into one NFT. This is like when parts are shipped or assembled into a complete car. With these three types, all transformations can be covered. The smart contract executing the transformation locks the source NFT (removes it from circulation) and mints new NFTs in its place. To execute the transformation, the smart contract can verify certain conditions. For example, in the case of a container of berries, a split operation is only permitted if the mass of the resulting new NFTs matches the mass of the source NFT. The mass measurement is performed by reliable external oracles. We store the NFT metadata in the Beeson format developed for Swarm. The advantage of this is that it is verifiable on the blockchain, enabling the transformation smart contract to perform basic Merkle proof checks on the metadata based solely on the Swarm hash (Merkle root). For example, the full price is paid only if the product is manufactured according to a recipe that is confidential but its hash is known. Of course, there are many factors in a transformation that may be difficult or impossible to verify with a smart contract. In such cases, permission from external oracles is required for the transformation (e.g. the location of a vessel). This could be a single oracle or a group of oracles. In the latter case, the transformation can be executed if the majority of the group approves it. Finally, for the sake of example, let's follow this short supply chain: First, the producer picks the bio berries and packs them into a container. Subsequently, an independent validator checks the field and its bio certificate. Photos of the Real-World Asset are uploaded to Swarm, which is linked to the NFT as metadata. Thus, the NFT representing the food is created. Tons of berries go bad or require huge energy during logistics, so a nearby food processor is notified that a batch becomes available. A sales contract is drawn up between the processor and the producer, with the condition that if the location of the container is verified (IoT and logistics oracles, DePIN) on the buyer’s plant, the price will be paid and the buyer will be the owner of the NFT. The processor can merge it with other ingredients, machine capacities, and recipes, so an updated NFT is generated for wholesalers and retailers. On the packaging, a QR code with the NFT ID is placed. When a customer picks up the smoothie in the store, they can scan the QR code to download the metadata stored on Swarm, which can be authenticated based on the history stored on the blockchain. The product's CO2 and water footprint can be estimated most accurately from this metadata, supporting buyers to involve it in buying factors, thereby encouraging manufacturers to minimize CO2 emissions. This is how the trace.market project works in a nutshell. Currently, the project is in testing phase, welcoming API integrations to cope with the urging need for a transparent, Single Source of Truth in products’ sustainability, logistics, resiliency, quality, and custom but structured attributes. I plan to present the system's operation in depth, including the source code level, in a second article once the first version is complete. Kudos to Balint Drahota, the PM of trace.market for helping me clarify the concept, and inspiring me with excellent use cases. When most people think of NFTs, they think of Bored Ape monkeys and digital artworks, but in reality, it is a universal standard meant for much more. For example, NFTs perfectly represent real-world entities on the blockchain. An NFT can represent the ownership of a real piece of art (such as a painting), allowing it to be traded on the blockchain while the painting remains in a well-protected safe. Similarly, an NFT can represent raw materials, such as the steel needed for car manufacturing, or a container of berries that will eventually be made into smoothies. To these NFTs that represent real entities, we can also assign metadata that provides precise information about the entity associated with the NFT. For instance, in the case of a piece of art, this could include certificates proving authenticity and ownership, or in the case of raw materials, quality statements, and unique attributes like the place of origin. If the metadata is stored on immutable storage, then every change requires updating the metadata reference in the NFT, making the entity's history traceable throughout the blockchain. This history is unchangeable due to the nature of blockchain and immutable storage systems! This brings us to the trace.market project, which we are currently working on in close collaboration with the Swarm Foundation . The system's goal is to allow anyone to freely create NFTs representing physical entities on the Polygon blockchain and to assign metadata to them on Swarm. The blockchain ensures a reliable product history, which can be accessed on Swarm. trace.market Swarm Foundation From the end-users perspective, this looks like scanning a QR code (which contains the NFT ID) on the final product (such as a garment, a box of smoothies, or a car service book) using an app, where they can view the metadata and the complete history. For example, they can verify that the t-shirt was made by recycled textiles, or that the price of refurbished electronics is in balance with its defects. The project uses standard ERC721 NFTs, which are supplemented by two methods for storing and retrieving metadata: ERC721 function updateMetadata(uint256 tokenId, uint256 swarmHash)
function metadata(uint256 tokenId) function updateMetadata(uint256 tokenId, uint256 swarmHash)
function metadata(uint256 tokenId) The updateMetadata method allows us to modify the metadata assigned to the token. Since the address of content on Swarm is the keccak256 hash of that content, we use uint256 for storage. As the content stored on Swarm is immutable, any change requires us to modify the metadata hash. This ensures that the complete history can be traced on the blockchain. To facilitate traceability, we are also introducing a new event: updateMetadata event metadataUpdated(uint256 indexed _tokenId, uint256 _swarmHash); event metadataUpdated(uint256 indexed _tokenId, uint256 _swarmHash); The event is emitted with every change in metadata, allowing the complete history to be collected based on the tokenId. Since Swarm has its storage incentive system, the storage fee must be covered. This responsibility always falls on the current owner of the NFT. It is in their interest to do so because if the metadata is not accessible, significantly more trust will be needed to sell the product/ NFT. Once the NFT is transferred to a new owner, it then becomes the new owner's responsibility to pay for the storage. During the life cycle of a product, there may be events when the nature of the product changes. For example, locally grown berries are freeze-dried to serve them off-season, or a certified raw material is built into a premium product. Each activity output is detailed in a new NFT, so Industry 5.0’s smart manufacturing can be customized at scale. We refer to these in the system as transformations, and they can occur with the assistance of smart contracts. We distinguish three fundamental types of transformations: 1-1 transformation: In this case, one NFT transforms into another NFT. For example, a container of strawberries becomes a barrel of juice. 1-N transformation (split): In this case, one NFT splits into multiple NFTs. For example, a container of strawberries is divided into two containers, which are then shipped to different countries. N-1 transformation (merge): In this case, component  NFTs merge into one NFT. This is like when parts are shipped or assembled into a complete car. 1-1 transformation : In this case, one NFT transforms into another NFT. For example, a container of strawberries becomes a barrel of juice. 1-1 transformation 1-N transformation (split) : In this case, one NFT splits into multiple NFTs. For example, a container of strawberries is divided into two containers, which are then shipped to different countries. 1-N transformation (split) N-1 transformation (merge) : In this case, component  NFTs merge into one NFT. This is like when parts are shipped or assembled into a complete car. N-1 transformation (merge) With these three types, all transformations can be covered. The smart contract executing the transformation locks the source NFT (removes it from circulation) and mints new NFTs in its place. To execute the transformation, the smart contract can verify certain conditions. For example, in the case of a container of berries, a split operation is only permitted if the mass of the resulting new NFTs matches the mass of the source NFT. The mass measurement is performed by reliable external oracles. We store the NFT metadata in the Beeson format developed for Swarm. The advantage of this is that it is verifiable on the blockchain, enabling the transformation smart contract to perform basic Merkle proof checks on the metadata based solely on the Swarm hash (Merkle root). For example, the full price is paid only if the product is manufactured according to a recipe that is confidential but its hash is known. Of course, there are many factors in a transformation that may be difficult or impossible to verify with a smart contract. In such cases, permission from external oracles is required for the transformation (e.g. the location of a vessel). This could be a single oracle or a group of oracles. In the latter case, the transformation can be executed if the majority of the group approves it. Finally, for the sake of example, let's follow this short supply chain: First, the producer picks the bio berries and packs them into a container. Subsequently, an independent validator checks the field and its bio certificate. Photos of the Real-World Asset are uploaded to Swarm, which is linked to the NFT as metadata. Thus, the NFT representing the food is created. Tons of berries go bad or require huge energy during logistics, so a nearby food processor is notified that a batch becomes available. A sales contract is drawn up between the processor and the producer, with the condition that if the location of the container is verified (IoT and logistics oracles, DePIN) on the buyer’s plant, the price will be paid and the buyer will be the owner of the NFT. The processor can merge it with other ingredients, machine capacities, and recipes, so an updated NFT is generated for wholesalers and retailers. On the packaging, a QR code with the NFT ID is placed. When a customer picks up the smoothie in the store, they can scan the QR code to download the metadata stored on Swarm, which can be authenticated based on the history stored on the blockchain. The product's CO2 and water footprint can be estimated most accurately from this metadata, supporting buyers to involve it in buying factors, thereby encouraging manufacturers to minimize CO2 emissions. This is how the trace.market project works in a nutshell. Currently, the project is in testing phase, welcoming API integrations to cope with the urging need for a transparent, Single Source of Truth in products’ sustainability, logistics, resiliency, quality, and custom but structured attributes. I plan to present the system's operation in depth, including the source code level, in a second article once the first version is complete. Kudos to Balint Drahota, the PM of trace.market for helping me clarify the concept, and inspiring me with excellent use cases.

Supply Chain Tracking with Ethereum Swarm and NFTs: a brief introduction of trace.market 

ub Motion to dismiss Court Filing, retrieved on January 26, 2023 is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This part is 23 of 26. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here ARGUMENT V. PLAINTIFFS’ REVERSE PASSING OFF CLAIM IS BARRED UNDER DASTAR. Plaintiffs purport to assert a claim under the Lanham Act for “reverse passing off.” Compl. at 43 (Count V). The allegation that Defendants have marketed, distributed, or sold works in which Plaintiffs claim some interest “without attribution” is a copyright claim masquerading as a trademark claim, and therefore squarely barred by the Supreme Court’s decision in Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., 539 U.S. 23, 37 (2003); see also Sybersound Records, Inc. v. UAV Corp., 517 F.3d 1137, 1143-44 (9th Cir. 2008). Continue Reading . Here About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case 4:22-cv-06823-JST retrieved on September 11, 2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. documentcloud.org

Programmers Make a Copyright Claim 'Masquerading' as a Trademark Claim in GitHub Lawsuit

Your trademark is your intellectual property, and no one should be allowed to use it without your explicit consent. Luckily, Google has mechanisms to prevent this kind of abuse. Google Ads is an excellent platform for growing your business and getting your voice heard. However, it usually demands a lot of hard work and time invested. This is why it is truly disheartening to invest your hard-earned dollars, only to see someone else profit from your sweat. So what can be done when someone uses exact keywords for the very brand name you worked so hard to create? I will show you how to preserve your digital reputation and stop these would-be poachers from taking advantage of your company’s trademark. Google takes Adwords trademark violation issues seriously. Each complaint that a trademark owner lodges concerning the use of their trademark is reviewed. Should a violation of their policy be found, they enforce restrictions. What is a trademark violation? A trademark violation is an instance of an advertiser using a trademark or patented logo, slogan, or other marketing material from a brand without the proper permission and documented authorization. Why should you submit a trademark complaint? You don’t have to be a Google Ads advertiser to submit a complaint, and there are many reasons why you shouldn’t allow the use of your intellectual property in your competitor’s ads: People searching for your brand might think that they have come to your website. Your competitors may run negative ads about your brand. Just imagine the damage a negative ad in the top spot of search results can cause to your reputation. It is your brand, so you should be in the top space of paid search results. Even if your competitors are using your brand name as a keyword, your ad will be more relevant, which means a higher quality score. The accurate use of trademarks While using someone else’s trademark in your ad text is generally forbidden, there are a few exceptions to this rule: – Resellers are allowed to use trademarks in ad copy if the ad’s landing page has the primary goal of selling products or services directly aligned with the trademark. This means that the ad copy must be relevant to the trademark. This way, advertisers are prevented from using a reputable name to drive traffic to a page about an unrelated product or service. Resellers – Informational sites can use trademarks in ad copy only if the primary purpose of the landing page patches the site’s purpose – to inform. However, the reseller and informational site policy forbid these examples: Ads associated with firms that compete against each other. Ads that have landing pages that ask for user’s information before they display commercial information.Ads without a clear purpose to distinguish whether the advertiser is associated with reselling or informational sites. Informational sites – For specific ad extensions and formats, you are allowed to use trademarks if you are providing additional information about the products or services you are advertising. Ad extensions Trademarks as keywords Trademarks can be used as keywords without any limitations. This can be frustrating to businesses competing for rankings with other companies who are also bidding on their brand. Trademarks in display URL Although Google Ads can disapprove of the use of trademarks in ad copy, you are free to use it in an ad’s display URL. If a brand files a complaint about an expanded text ad, Google may restrict the use of the trademark in the display URL, but the ad itself may not be disapproved. It may still show on the display or search network. Instead of being disapproved, no subdomains will appear in the display URL. 3rd Party Authorization Requests If you need the authorization to use trademarked terms on the owner’s behalf or authorize an agency to use your trademark, the trademark owner needs to submit a 3rd Party Authorization Request, which requires 5 to 7 business days to complete. Otherwise, everyone is susceptible to trademark infringement by competing advertisers. How to submit a trademark infringement To submit a potential Google Adwords trademark violation, you must have a registered trademark in the country where you find it misused. If you don’t have a registered trademark, Google will accept claims for rights of exclusive use for well-known brands that may not be registered yet. This concept of “active” rights only applies in countries whose legal systems derive from common law. If you don’t have the trademark information for the country in question, most places will have a database where you can search for the appropriate registration numbers. If you are filing a complaint in the United States, you can visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s online database. Once you have found the ad that uses your trademark, and you have your trademark registration information, you can submit a complaint to Google by filling out the submission form. On the first page of the form, you will be asked to enter your name and information about your company. In case you are not the trademark owner, you will need to specify the owner as well. In that case, the owner will need to send a message to Google, saying they permit you to submit a complaint. On the next page, you need to enter the registration information for your trademark. If your trademark is not registered, you need to note that in the form. The next step is entering the ad details of the infringement you wish to report. You need to select the scope of complaints. This is where you specify whether your complaint applies to specific advertisers or all advertisers. You also need to specify those advertisers you have authorized to use your branded terms. At the bottom of the page, you enter the details of the ad you are submitting. If you submit a complaint against specific advertisers, Google will review advertisements included in the submission and remove those that violate their trademark policy. If you submit a complaint against all advertisers, Google will limit the non-authorized use of the trademark in the country and industry in which the trademark is registered. This is where you need to practice caution. If you fail to submit a complete list of authorized advertisers with Google Ads customer IDs, the advertisements of your partners using your trademark may be removed as well. You must also include your Google Ads ID so that your ads would not be removed. This is why it is better to select a scope of complaints against specific advertisers to avoid unintended removals. If you can produce a full list of authorized Google Ads IDs, you can select a scope of complaints against all advertisers. Remember that you will need to regularly update this list as you start working with new advertisers and discontinue your work with others. On the next page, you can enter any clarifications about your complaint. While this step is optional, you will need to check the boxes at the bottom of the page. On the last page, you can review all the information you have entered. Once you have done that, select Submit to complete the submission. Once you have submitted your complaint, you will receive an email to reaffirm your submission. It will take from one to 8 weeks for Google to respond regardless of whether they decide to take action against the advertisers you named or not. What about misspellings? If the name of your trademark is misspelled, but it is evident that someone is trying to use your brand, you should file a Google Adwords trademark violation complaint. One of the most common misspelling practices is adding or subtracting spaces to a brand name, and Google’s trademark policy still protects this. Final thoughts Should you ever come across an ad that uses your brand name as a means of promotion, you should submit a Google AdWords trademark violation complaint and put an end to their fraudulent use. While healthy competition is the cornerstone of commerce, you worked hard to establish your brand’s reputation. Why let others rob you of the rewards? By judicious use of the aforementioned legal means, you can keep your intellectual property secure by putting an end to any competitors looking for a free ride on your brand’s coattails. ( Disclaimer : The author is the Lead Strategist at AlphaEfficiency) Previously published here

How To Submit a Google AdWords Trademark Violation Complaint?

Trademark registration is a crucial business process as it does not only protect a brand’s image but also its consumers by ensuring that they receive high-quality products and services. And it looks like organizations all over the world are seeing the value of trademarking their brands. The World Intellectual Property Organization ( ), for instance, saw a 19.2% increase in trademark applications worldwide in 2018, which translates to around 10.9 million. WIPO Every year, however, courts also hear thousands of trademark infringement cases involving domains. It turns out that the very thing that helps protect an organization’s reputation also needs security. In this post, we looked back on some trademark infringement cases and explored how brands can better avoid the same predicament using brand monitoring services like . Domain Brand Monitor Infamous Trademark Infringement Cases 3M vs. 3N First on the list is the lawsuit that 3M filed against Changzhou Huawei Advanced Material Co. Ltd. for using the brand 3N. , with the judge ordering the company behind 3N to pay for damages. The incident taught us that although the trademark is only for the two-letter word, imitating it and using its popularity to line one’s pocket indeed constitutes infringement. 3M won the case DreamWorks Animation vs. Zeng Zeng, a Chinese national, registered orientaldreamworks[.]com and shanghaidreamworks[.]com but never used them. He also quoted a price of more than US$15,000 for each domain name, prompting DreamWorks Animation to file a case against him. The judge ruled that this was a , especially since Zeng had more than 200 domain names under his name. classic case of cybersquatting Disney vs. Stephan Huber Although Stephan Huber’s shopdisney[.]eu domain name resolves to an online shop where he sells products that are not related to The Walt Disney Company and its creations, the WIPO panel decided in favor of the rightful owner of the trademark. The domain is confusingly similar to the Disney brand, and people may think that they are buying from Disney itself instead of Huber. Trademark Monitoring Using Brand Monitor All three cases cited above ended with the trademark owner victorious. Still, when we factor in other aspects such as the reputational damages caused when infringements remain undetected, brands are often better off keeping an eye on their trademarks — starting with domain names. That is where Brand Monitor comes in handy, and here’s how to use it: The tool can detect typos, which can be used by bad actors to imitate your brand’s domain. When we ran 3M on the tool, it immediately identified 43 typos. 3N was one of them, along with 33m, 3mm, and 3-m. 1. Check for typos: At this point, users have the option to investigate each typo or at least those that are very similar to their brands. They can do so using . When we ran 3n[.]com on the tool, for instance, we found out that the domain has existed since 1998 and that the registrant is from China. 2. Dig deeper: WHOIS Search The tool returns a list of newly added, modified, or dropped domains related to the ones included in the tracker. Users can set up email notification so they can immediately be alerted to domain changes. That way, they can stay updated about potential trademark infringement. 3. Wait for 24 hours: Trademark registration helps protect a brand’s image and reputation. Unfortunately, that does not stop some people from using it in bad faith. Trademark infringement is a sad reality, but with the right trademark monitoring tools, no company has to live in it. is one service that can help brand owners check for possible infringements involving their domain names. Brand Monitor

Trademark & Brand Monitoring Services: How They Can Help Protect Your Image Online

People have the tendency to be lax when it comes to protecting their intellectual property. When you’re in the process of developing and brainstorming for different business ideas, it may be hard to see the value of what you’re making if it isn’t tangible yet. Regardless if you’re an artist, an inventor, or an entrepreneur, you must never be complacent when it comes to protecting your intellectual property. You’ll never know if the passion project you’re working on will be the next big thing in your industry. If you’re careless with securing your intellectual assets, unwanted occurrences and potential legal complications may arise and affect your brand once it’s finally operational. With these things in mind, it’s important to know the different ways on how you can protect all of your creations. Copyright Used for securing artistic assets such as songs, movies, and books, a copyright gives you control over who can use and reproduce copies of your work. For instance, if you’re a music producer, a copyright will prevent other people from using your tracks without your prior consent. If you’re a writer that knows , you can protect your research, media assets, and insights from bloggers that are claiming it as their as own. how to stand out and succeed at content marketing A copyrighted product will be secured for the whole life of its creator with an additional 50 years upon his/her death. If the time comes that you encounter any legal issues, you’ll need to license and register your works with the government agencies involved. Failure to do so will make you unable to file a lawsuit against the party that infringed on your intellectual property. Patents Patents were made to give inventors exclusive rights over new creations or to the improvements they’ve made to previous models. If you’re applying for one, it’s important to know the three different kinds of patent categories. cover the functional features of your invention. They come with detailed descriptions of how your products operate and drawings as a form of visual aid. This will give rights and recognition for all the people that made significant contributions. Utility patents , on the other hand, cover the non-functional elements of your invention. To emphasize the branding of your products, you may be incorporating certain designs that make them stand out from your competitors. These aesthetic elements can also be claimed as yours as long as it’s unique and easily distinguishable. Design patents : Intellectual property issues tend to arise when companies are in the process of merger and acquisition ( ). Remember M&A If you’re dealing with a company transition of any kind, a patent will allow you to gain full ownership of your inventions and stop others from producing, distributing, and selling any model you’ve made. Since some products such as car engines, computer hardware/software, and other kinds of machinery may still be redesigned and improved, utilizing both patents will let you acquire legal rights to both functional and design aspects of your creations. are given to inventors who have reproduced a new kind of plant with distinct characteristics, capabilities, and use. The patent may apply to certain plants, however, scientific processes such as the method of reproduction and cultivation may complicate the process even further. Plant patents Trademark A trademark is a word, phrase, or symbol that will distinguish your products and services from your competitors’. As aspiring brand owners, you should keep in mind that your logo, name, and slogans are one of your biggest assets so you need to make sure that you have exclusive rights to all of those. Trademarking your intellectual property will prevent others from creating a brand with a similar name and design. This also works the other way around. Your registration may also be rendered invalid if the assets you are attempting to trademark are similar to a business that’s already operational. Other than giving your products and services some distinction, your trademark will also define your overall branding and set the tone for your marketing efforts. For example, Nike has reaped the benefits of trademarking by making good use of their logo (the swoosh) and tagline (“Just do it”) to build brand visibility and strengthen industry authority. Be financially prepared because trademarking will require the services of a lawyer and will come with processing and other related fees. Securing the future from the inside out starts with protecting your intellectual assets. If you think your products, services, and ideas have , make sure that you’re able to secure all of your assets by making use of the three mentioned tools. In case any complications arise, having a legal consultant that’s readily available will help you gain clarity on your situation and will help you impose your intellectual property rights. what it takes to build a business

Should You Get Copyright, Patent, or Trademark to Protect Your Million-Dollar Business Idea?

When the ™law™ empowers those who need it most. My oh my, I’ve touched upon an interesting topic. Hi, my name is Charles, and I am an avid cyberspace and intellectual property law enthusiast who believes blockchain and other emerging technologies will have a large impact on our society and economy. For this article, I wanted to discuss an interesting situation that occurred in the NIFTY community, a sub community within the greater Ethereum community, in August 2018, and why trademark ownership needs to be discussed as early as practicable for blockchain communities [1]. NIFTY Trademark In mid-2018, Dapper Labs Inc., a subsidiary of Axiom Zen, and the venture studio that created CryptoKitties, a decentralized application (dApp) where users can collect digital pets on the Ethereum blockchain (think Neopets or Tamagotchi, but on a blockchain), filed a federal trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for “NIFTY,” a term created within the NIFTY subcommunity to describe non-fungible tokens [1][2]. Non-fungible tokens are unique tokens, often based on the ERC-721 standard, that have a “name, a description, and a URI, which usually points to an image” [11]. The NIFTY trademark, granted in 2018, covers goods and services associated with: International Class (IC) 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: downloadable computer software to enable consumers and businesses to interact with other software, digital assets, digital apparel, cryptocurrency, online services, and databases; computer application software for mobile phones, portable media players, and computers that is used to enable users to hold cryptocurrency via electronic wallets; computer software to create and manage electronic wallets for holding cryptocurrency; application software, namely, software for sending, receiving, buying, selling and storing cryptocurrency; software for use in accessing, reading, tracking, and using blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, digital assets, and digital apparel; software for facilitating a cryptocurrency transaction IC 014. US 002 027 028 050. G & S: promotional items IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: promotional apparel, namely, hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: consultation services, namely, professional services, software development, and educational services to third parties IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: providing an online website enabling users to interact with computer games and other content over a global communication network IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: providing temporary use of on-line non-downloadable software and applications for use in accessing, reading, tracking, and using blockchain technology; providing on-line non-downloadable computer software for use in blockchain technology and computation; computer software design services, namely, design, development, and implementation of software solutions for digital currency security for blockchain and cryptocurrency transactions; computer programming and computer software design services, namely, design, development, and implementation of software for hierarchical deterministic multisignature (hdm) wallets and third party verification services for blockchain and cryptocurrency transactions; providing a website featuring technology that enables users to engage in cryptocurrency mining and verification services for cryptocurrency; platform as a service (paas) featuring computer software platforms for providing design, testing, deployment, and management of blockchain systems; platform as a service (paas) featuring computer software platforms for the deployment, transfer, and management of fiat and cryptocurrency; software as a service (saas) [9]. As you could guess, this did not sit well with the NIFTY subcommunity, one that prides itself on working together to grow the NIFTY market and solidify technical standards [1][12]. Matt Condon [10], a prominent figure in the NIFTY subcommunity, was appalled by the action, and made a scathing comment (and pardon the language) on Twitter: In response to multiple tweets from Matt and many others protesting the action, Roham, AxiomZen’s Founder/CEO, tweeted: The whole twitter thread may be found by clicking here . However, given the broad classification, and pertinently highlighted by what is expected to happen when a community member trademarks a community term, especially when other existing platforms are already using the trademarked term as trade names such as NIFTYGallery, now renamed as CryptoGoods Gallery [1][3][4]. Yalda Mousavinia, Though, Dapper Labs has released the open-source NFT license 2.0 to govern the use of NFTs based on the ERC-721 standard to help other companies in the subcommunity to protect their works [13]. This may be one sign that Roham really meant what he said , but the lack of reference to the NIFTY trademark, or even an open-source trademark license, speaks volumes that Dapper Labs insistence to help other companies is merely an affront to imposing their own will on the subcommunity [13]. Specifically, these two tweets by Roham below show signs of inconsistency between his position, and the actual events as they occurred: “ TMs are a standard part of our process — we shipped NiftyLicense and our general counsel jumped on the filing generic words can never be TM’d — our interest is only in protecting products and services from copy-cats that mislead users we absolutely will shield the community” “ third and most important: we’re committed to supporting the community we know we’re at the earliest stages of a major shift, from centralized to peer-to-peer, from digital rental to true ownership, from feudalism to freedom to go mainstream, we need sustainable business models” These two tweets in particular led Matt Condon and other commentators to poignantly mention that Dapper Labs could have filed specifically for “NIFTY + [an additional word]” to prevent the community term NIFTY from being trademarked (or at least talked to his General Counsel to cancel the filing) [1][5]. Given this usurp of the communal ownership of NIFTY, blockchain communities should be worried about a community member surreptitiously or inconspicuously filing a federal trademark application on community-created terms and designs [1]. The most important lesson to be learned from this incident is that as as Roham’s statements may seem, you should to protect the term and help consumers associate the term with the community [1][5]. capitalist file a federal trademark application as soon as possible (ASAP) However, I do not propose blockchain/decentralized communities file traditional trademarks, as most know them, rather, I suggest communities file what [6][7]. is known as a collective trademark/service mark or collective membership mark Before diving into the type of trademarks, I shall provide a short introduction to collectives, trademarks and service marks, and trademark infringement because they apply to collective trademarks [14]. collective Collective Collectives, as defined by Dictionary.com, are “a business, farm, etc., jointly owned and operated by the members of a group” [16]. A collective sounds very similar to a cooperative, but the two differ concerning the organization’s structure [15]. In cooperatives, the structure is regarding (e.g., equal ownership in the enterprise), while in collectives, the structure is concerning _management (e._g., no hierarchical management system)[15]. ownership Trademarks and Service marks Federally Registered Trademark Symbol A trademark is any mark (word, design, color, sound, symbol, device, etc.) used in commerce to distinguish a seller’s goods from other sellers, and to indicate the origin of the goods [16]. A service mark is any mark used in commerce to distinguish a provider’s services from other providers, and to indicate the origin of the service [16]. Both require as defined in Section 45 of the Trademark Act, , i.e., the goods or services associated with the mark are used in connection with the proliferation of the goods (e.g., placing the mark on the goods or the packaging) or services (e.g., using the mark in the advertising of the service) in interstate commerce (e.g., over the internet) [17][18]. use in commerce 15 U.S.C. §1127 A trademark or service mark is infringed, under the Lanham Act, when there is a likelihood of confusion, i.e., that consumers will confuse the registered owner’s trademark or service mark with that of another person’s or entity’s trademark [19]. To show likelihood of confusion, the federal courts have relied on the factors (slight changes depending on the federal circuit): DuPont (1) The similarity or dissimilarity of the marks in their entireties as to appearance, sound, connotation and commercial impression. (2) The similarity or dissimilarity and nature of the goods or services as described in an application or registration or in connection with which a prior mark is in use. (3) The similarity or dissimilarity of established, likely-to-continue trade channels. (4) The conditions under which and buyers to whom sales are made, i. e. “impulse” vs. careful, sophisticated purchasing. (5) The fame of the prior mark (sales, advertising, length of use). (6) The number and nature of similar marks in use on similar goods. (7) The nature and extent of any actual confusion. (8) The length of time during and conditions under which there has been concurrent use without evidence of actual confusion. (9) The variety of goods on which a mark is or is not used (house mark, “family” mark, product mark). (10) The market interface between applicant and the owner of a prior mark: … (11) The extent to which applicant has a right to exclude others from use of its mark on its goods. de minimis (12) The extent of potential confusion, i. e., whether or substantial. (13) Any other established fact probative of the effect of use [19]. Collective Marks Melinda Consortium collective mark.** Collective marks are marks made for collective entities, such as associations, cooperatives, unions and the like [6][7]. In this context, the mark is owned by the collective entity, not by its’ individual members [6][7][8]. These marks are generally held by the collective entity exclusively for the benefit of the collective members [14]. Contrast this with the general trademark which is solely owned by an individual or entity, and benefit is for solely the owner[14]. Collective membership marks are marks meant to denote membership in a particular collective [6]. Collective membership marks do not indicate commercial origin of goods or services, nor are they indicative of any goods or services [6]. On the other hand, a collective trademark or service mark is a mark that indicates (1) commercial origin of goods or services and (2) that the provider of the goods or services has met the membership standards for admission to the collective [6][8][14][20]. With a collective trademark or service mark, as opposed to a collective membership mark, the members of the collective are using the mark to distinguish their goods or services from other providers, and to indicate the commercial origin of their goods or services [6][8][14][20]. In other words, collective marks can be used in the same manner as regular trademarks, even though the membership organization is not itself producing the goods and services [20]. A collective mark is not harder to acquire than a regular trademark, but the specimen (i.e., the mark) that forms the basis of the application is different [6]. The specimen for a collective trademark must show use of the mark by a member of the collective, while a regular trademark must show use by the owner [6]. The collective entity must show control of the mark (e.g., people entitled to use mark, relationship to collective entity, and how the collective entity controls the mark), which can be shown through the bylaws, brand guide, or other documents with a similar effect [28]. Additionally, the same standards of likelihood of confusion that apply to regular trademarks also applies to collective trademarks [6]. For communities that want to preserve a term for the community, a collective membership mark or collective trademark or service mark would be ideal in keeping the term within the community, and providing the exclusive legal right to use the term (which the community can enforce as needed in accordance with its own principles and values) [6][8][20]. Real-world Examples of Collective Marks International Grocers Alliance “IGA” initial mark.** Four real-world examples of collective marks are the New Hampshire Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) Society, Florists’ Transworld Delivery, International Growers Alliance, and the International Association of Privacy Professionals [need source]. The New Hampshire CPA Society owns a collective service mark for providing association services to promote the interests of CPAs and the local accounting industry in New Hampshire [21]. Florists’ Transworld Delivery (FTD) owns a collective service mark for providing services to florists in their operation of their businesses, help foster goods and services exchange between florists, and promoting the florist industry, and providing informational materials pertaining to the sale of gifts, flowers, plants, and floral arrangements [23]. International Growers Alliance (IGA) owns a collective service mark on the initials “IGA” in connection with rendering “[r]etail store services featuring grocery store items and gasoline, and retail pharmacy services” [24]. IGA’s main line of business is a franchise grocery store model through stores not owned by the brand,i.e., without the trademark included (collective service mark, thus no need for licensing), and the majority of the franchised stores are family owned, and located in small markets [25]. IGA is the largest set of independent grocery retailers in the world and operates in more than 30 countries [26]. The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) owns a collective service mark on the standard character mark of the organization’s name, in connection with rendering “[a]ssociation services, namely, promoting the interests of professionals in the fields of privacy, data protection and security, data management, data auditing, and legal compliance for the foregoing” [27]. The IAPP provides certification, training, conferences, and additional resources for people who are interested in privacy, or privacy professionals looking to see what is going on the industry. Hypothetical Example Here is a hypothetical example e of how a community would consider filing for a collective trademark. A blockchain community or subcommunity, lets call them , will develop a trademark-eligible mark. Quirkteam Quirkteam starts to see the potential for the trademark-eligible term or design to become a staple term or design to identify the community. Quirkteam, realizing the potential for misuse and abuse of the trademark-eligible mark, decides to create a collective entity that will be the owner of the trademark-eligible mark. Quirkteam will then file a federal trademark application with the USPTO for a collective mark (trademark, service mark, or membership mark). If successful, the USPTO will issue Quirkteam,a federally registered collective mark. Quirkteam can then manage the use of the collective mark by its members (e.g., through the collective entity’s bylaws or brand guide), thereby preserving the principles and values of the community’s usage of the mark. Alternatives to Collective Mark A blockchain community or subcommunity may also elect to dedicate community-created terms or designs to the public domain, free for anyone to use without any restrictions. Additionally, a community may utilize a version of the creative commons license to protect copyright usage of the term or designs[29]. Notes ** = Strictly for normative use. All rights reserved by trademark owner(s). Disclaimer Nothing contained herein should be construed as, or is intended to be, financial or legal advice. This article is solely for informative purposes. You agree no attorney-client relationship shall be created from reading this article or using this article in future activities. Acknowledgements Thank you to everyone at @Ledgerback for your help on this article. It is much appreciated. References Formatted references are available upon request [1] https://medium.com/@stellarmagnet/nifty-ethereums-first-trademark-battle-996c840b2583 [2] https://trademark.trademarkia.com/nifty-88046182.html [3] https://gallery.cryptogoods.com [4] https://www.cryptogoods.com/ [5] https://twitter.com/rohamg/status/1028354797450145792 [6] https://www.ny-trademark-lawyer.com/collective-trademarks.html [7] 15 U.S.C. § 1127 [8] https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/collective-marks-when-your-group-wants-protects-name.html [9] http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4803:qjuma1.2.8 [10] https://www.nifty.gg/agenda/speakers/285069 [11] https://medium.com/@jagordon/nifty-blockchain-gaming-thoughts-92075a4f934a [12] https://www.nifty.gg/ [13] https://medium.com/dapperlabs/nft-license-2-0-why-a-nft-can-do-what-mickey-mouse-never-could-27673d5f29aa [14] https://www.bitlaw.com/source/tmep/1302.html [15] http://cdi.coop/coop-cathy-coops-and-collectives-difference/ [16] https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/trademark-faqs#1223 [17] http://www.waltmire.com/2015/01/03/use-in-commerce-mean-trademark-application/ [18] https://tmep.uspto.gov/RDMS/TMEP/current#/current/TMEP-900d1e1.html [19] . 476 F.2d 1357, 177 USPQ 563 (CCPA 1973) In re E.I. DuPont DeNemours & Co., [20] https://www.bitlaw.com/source/tmep/1303.html [21] https://www.bitlaw.com/source/tmep/1303_01_a_i.html [22] https://www.trademarkia.com/trademarks-search.aspx?tn=society%20of%20certified%20public%20accountants [23] https://trademark.trademarkia.com/florists-transworld-delivery-73711904.html [24] https://trademark.trademarkia.com/iga-78613151.html [25] https://www.iga.com/about/about-iga; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IGA_(supermarkets)]/ [26] . https://www.iga.com/about/about-iga [27] . https://trademark.trademarkia.com/the-international-association-of-privacy-professionals-86843346.html [28] https://www.bitlaw.com/source/tmep/1303_01_a_i_A.html [29] https://creativecommons.org/licenses/

Collective Trademarks in Blockchain Communities?

Speaking frankly, you do not actually to register the trademark for your app. There’s no point bothering if you don’t mind it becoming shovelware. But, if you consider it something big, you better get up and trademark it. need Let us remind you of the situation with that game Flappy Bird. There was a day when almost a third of all apps published in the AppStore were clones of this game! One of the clones was downloaded 644,000 times in 24 hours, according to research conducted by . The Guardian Copying apps are getting more and more popular, and registering a trademark is one of the ways to keep your app safe. If you don’t care about your intellectual rights, you are at risk of losing your profit and your credibility. To Do or Not to Do If you’re not convinced yet, let us tell you some advantages of trademarking your app. 1. You can sell your intellectual property, assign it for temporary use, or use it as a guarantee for loans. Capitalization rise. 2. Intellectual property may be recorded on a company’s balance sheet. Increased investment appeal. 3. Intellectual property may be transferred under a license agreement or as a part of the franchise. Extra income. 4. In the case of any violation of your rights — e.g. if your app has been cloned — the law will be on your side. Legal protection of exclusive rights. And some of the risks of trademarking you app. not 1. If somebody clones your app, you can lose the market share. Profit decrease. 2. If someone else registers your trademark or patents the app, they will have a right to demand compensation or claim damages. Patent trolling. 3. The app may not be transferred under a license agreement or as part of the franchise. Monetization limitations. 4. If your app has not been trademarked, the chance to put any violator to justice is reduced to zero. Illegal cloning. Above all, the trademark lets your customers know that they are using the product made by your particular company and that it isn’t a fake. It is a sort of product quality guarantee. However, the choice really is yours. Trademark Registration: How to Register Your App Step 1. Choose the items for trademarking. There are several kinds of intellectual property which may be related to mobile apps, and the trademark is only one of them. When we are talking about trademarking, we do not mean the code of functionality. Rather, we’re talking about logos, icons, characters, and, primarily, the app’s title or name. However, not all items can be trademarked. The aspect that you are looking to trademark must be distinctive: it must be sufficiently unique, meaning it is not a common phrase or descriptive term. For example, if your app is some kind of map for travelers, you will probably not be able to trademark such a name as “Maps for Travelers”. A name like that can be great for search engine promotion, but it’s not so clever if you are hoping to get it registered. On the other hand, the name should be relevant to the core of your app or business, so users don’t have to guess or work out what it might be. We called our app Suretly. The name is unique and there were no problems with trademark registration. It also reflects the core of our business: the combination of the words “surely” and “surety” relates to the process of guaranteeing other people’s loans for a small fee. Step 2. Check that you register your item. can When it comes to the title, you will need to conduct a search in AppStore and in Google Play and follow this up with a general internet search. You’d be wise to have a look at the databases of trademarks, and you should definitely use the relevant one. If everything is okay, and your title is not already registered, you can move onto the next step. Step 3. Determine your jurisdiction. Make a list of all countries in which you want your app to be protected. Lawyers usually advise that you register your app in every country you plan to work in. However, this may cost a bomb. It would be more rational to choose the most important markets and start the trademark registration process there. For example, we began with the USA, Great Britain, and Russia. You can always obtain trademark registration afterwards if your app starts growing in popularity. Step 4. Determine the class of the trademark. The fourth step is choosing the class of trademark for which to apply. There are over forty different classes for trademarks, but, remember, you will have to pay more for each additional class. Usually, companies apply for two to three classes of trademark. In the case of mobile apps, it is worth considering the ones related to computer programs, including those regarding software for mobile phones and portable devices. You can choose the other classes depending on what it is that your particular app actually does. Step 5. Prepare your documents and file the application. The next step depends on the country in which you are pursuing registration. There may be different standards and procedures depending on the place. You may also want to consider applying for international registration, using the Madrid system. In this case, your trademark will be protected in 118 countries. You’ll need to do some research in order to determine your next move. For example, in the US, it isn’t enough just to file an application and pay for it: you’ll also need to comply with a whole load of conditions (e.g. proving the app’s commercial use). It is not necessary — and not always possible — to complete the process by yourself, but you can find a lawyer who will be glad to help. So, after getting all your papers in order, you’ll need to submit them. After this, the wait can range from several months to a year and a half, depending on the country. Meanwhile, your application will be carefully examined. And, after all these long months of waiting, you will finally receive the precious papers. Filing for trademark is a complicated, time-consuming, and expensive process. But if you plan to make something outstanding, it’s well worth doing. Trademarking alone will not make your app great — but it will help you to protect your business from unscrupulous competitors and modern digital pirates. Alongside hard work, talent, and persistence, it may become major part of your app’s success.

Why Trademark your Mobile App? and How?

Intellectual Property Rights for Startups — Part I Trademarks This post is the first part of a four part series on the various Intellectual Property Rights. These posts give a brief introduction to these rights as well as answer a few pertinent questions that people starting up may have. I hope to write on more detailed questions in my later posts. So here we start with the most misunderstood of the lot, Trademarks. I love the show Silicon Valley! It must be the only show that has a full episode called Intellectual Property (IP). For someone who is an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) nerd this is a big thing. IPRs are those set of rights that give rights to things that come out of human intellect. So yes, if you are always mixing up your trademarks and patents, then these posts might be of help. Read through if you and your friends are planning to start the next Pied Piper or possibly Hooli. What is a trademark? Trademarks are possibly the most visible IPR, it’s impossible not to have a day without seeing, hearing or even uttering a trademark. Trademarks could be a word, phrase or a logo and even sounds that give the brand an identity and helps consumers identify the brand. Trademarks are everywhere, from words such as Amazon, to logos such as the bitten Apple. Trademarks could even be certain sounds, the most notable being the growl of the MGM lion. As soon as you see or hear them your mind connects it to the brand, the product and the values that they stand for. Trademarks can be for goods as well as services. How soon should I file a trademark? It’s a popular misconception that you cannot use a trademark unless the mark is registered. A trademark is filed is to protect the mark from infringement (the use of the mark by others in their business without the owners consent). Most countries, including India follow a first to use system, against a first to file system. Hence it is the date of the first use of the mark that is given importance. The trademark registry also provides an option to mention the date of the first use of a mark at the time of application. Though you need to have some documented proof handy. Hence if one could prove that the mark has been associated with the business and there was proof of such association, say newspaper clippings, advertisements, or even domain name registration. What should I do before filing a trademark? Before filing for a trademark it is best to do a simple Google search to see if the marks are similar to any existing mark. It is not enough if the brand is not in India, even international brands could sue for infringement claiming trans border reputation. After which, though this might take time, you could check under which classification you would like the mark to be you could type goods or services, under the . Once the class is determined you could then do a in India by typing in the class. Once you know that you have a unique mark, and you are ready, you could get the mark filed by a trademark agent. The process is online and you would get a receipt and proof of application in a day or two. Nice classification trademark search The process of getting a trademark, from application to registration can take any time between 8 months to one and a half years, though the registry is trying to speed up the process. When can I use the Trademark (TM) symbol? A question that I am often asked is ‘when can I use the TM symbol’. The ™ could be used alongside any word or logo that you intend to file a trademark for or you have applied for a trademark for. The ‘R’ can only be use once the trademark is registered. The use of the ‘R’ on an unregistered mark in India is punishable with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine or both. To sum up, you do not need get your trademark registered before you use it. The trademark’s validity is its use and the reason why we register a trademark is to prevent others from leaching on to the goodwill the brand. Finally, that you do not use the R symbol unless the mark is registered. If you are an up coming start-up it would be prudent to spend more money and effort in building up the brand’s visibility than to spend money filing a trademark right away. Though it’s better to file the mark once people start associating the company with the mark. The next part of the series would be dealing with Patents. The views expressed in this article do not constitute legal advice. Stay up to date with my latest posts/tweets here: @says_shweta

Intellectual Property Rights for Start ups — Part I Trademarks

Genericide: Trademarking “Blockchain”

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Crypto: Is Everything Free and Open?

ক্রিপ্টোতে বৌদ্ধিক সম্পত্তির অধিকার (IPR): সবকিছু কি বিনামূল্যে এবং উন্মুক্ত?

Geistiges Eigentumsrecht (IPR) bei Kryptowährungen: Ist alles frei und offen?

Derechos de propiedad intelectual (DPI) en criptomonedas: ¿todo es gratuito y abierto?

Droits de propriété intellectuelle (DPI) dans la crypto : tout est-il gratuit et ouvert ?

क्रिप्टो में बौद्धिक संपदा अधिकार (आईपीआर): क्या सब कुछ मुफ़्त और खुला है?

暗号通貨における知的財産権 (IPR): すべてが自由かつオープンですか?

암호화폐의 지적재산권(IPR): 모든 것이 자유롭고 개방적인가요?

Direitos de propriedade intelectual (DPI) na criptografia: tudo é gratuito e aberto?

Права интеллектуальной собственности (ПИС) в криптовалюте: все ли бесплатно и открыто?

Kriptoda Fikri Mülkiyet Hakları (IPR): Her Şey Ücretsiz ve Açık mı?

Quyền sở hữu trí tuệ (IPR) trong tiền điện tử: Mọi thứ có miễn phí và mở không?

加密货币中的知识产权（IPR）：一切都是自由和开放的吗？

Bybit's Web3 operations have been a driving force in the NFT industry, notably with the amazing success of the 2023 Velocity Series. This achievement has been particularly noteworthy. We are ecstatic to have the opportunity to discuss the effect of the series, the exciting new partnerships that are scheduled for 2024, and your vision for the future of NFTs. Ishan Pandey: The 2023 Velocity Series, a collaboration with Oracle Red Bull Racing, truly merged speed, technology, and art. Can you elaborate on the genesis of this project? Emily: Yes. Here at Bybit Web3, we are firm believers that cooperation is the most important factor in driving forward the NFT business. By exhibiting the convergence of the thrilling world of Formula One with the inventiveness of prominent digital artists, the Velocity Series exemplified this principle at its core. The Velocity Series showcased the limitless possibilities that can be achieved when different industries come together to collaborate. A one-of-a-kind Web3 experience that was based on the RB19 racing vehicle was made possible by our collaboration with Oracle Red Bull Racing. Ishan Pandey: The series featured renowned artists like Erick Snowfro and Jack Butcher. How did Bybit Web3 foster their artistic expression and connect them with a wider audience? Emily: We partnered with AOI, a renowned art and technology foundation, to assemble four visionary artists – Rik Oostenbroek, Per Kristian, Erick Snowfro, and Jack Butcher. Each artist created a unique NFT collection inspired by Formula One, coinciding with specific races throughout the season. Rik Oostenbroek: Captured the essence of speed and fluidity, amassing 70 ETH.

Explore Rik's Collection and dive deeper into the Speed, Art, and NFTs convergence.


Per Kristian Stoveland: Brought nature into the digital realm, garnering 115 ETH.

Delve into Per Kristian's World.


Erick Snowfro: Pushed the boundaries of abstract digital art, attracting 288 ETH.

__Embark on Snowfro's Artistic Odyssey __and view the collection here.


Jack Butcher: Revolutionized the digital collectible market with his "Trademark" collection, achieving an incredible 952 ETH.


__Experience Jack Butcher's Vision __and explore the __Dutch Auction __and Open Edition pieces. Bybit Web3 provided these artists with a global platform to showcase their work. We offered extensive marketing and promotional support, ensuring the series garnered significant attention within the NFT community. Ishan Pandey: Emily, with the Velocity Series 1.0 hailed as a monumental success, can you share what's new and exciting with the upcoming Velocity Series 2.0? Emily: Absolutely, Ishan. Building on the incredible momentum of the 2023 Velocity Series, we're elevating the experience with Velocity Series 2.0. This year, we're introducing "Data Driven Art," a novel concept that blends the thrill of racing with the creativity of digital art, all inspired by the achievements of the iconic RB20 F1 car. Another groundbreaking innovation we're excited about is the launch of fractional NFTs on the DN-404 protocol, a first in the industry. These fractional NFTs make ownership more accessible, allowing a wider audience to participate in our unique digital art collections. Ishan Pandey: That sounds like a significant leap forward. Can you delve a little deeper into the specifics of the Series 2.0 Pass sale and what it offers to fans and collectors? Emily: The Series 2.0 Pass sale, kicking off on April 12th, 2023, at 2PM UTC, promises an array of exclusive benefits. We're releasing an additional 1,000 passes, bringing the total to 2,000, to meet the overwhelming demand. Pass holders will gain access to three exclusive NFT artwork drops by world-renowned artists throughout 2024, along with token-gated activations and experiences related to the series. There’s also the exciting chance to win real-life prizes through our raffles. It's an opportunity for fans to deepen their connection with the world of Formula One and digital art like never before. Ishan Pandey: Beyond artistic exposure, the Velocity Series demonstrably broadened the collector base. Can you share some success stories? Emily: Erick Snowfro: Exposing New Audiences to Artistic Brilliance – A staggering 92% of collectors for his /// collection were newcomers to his work. Snowfro, a renowned digital sculptor, used 3D modeling and animation to create a captivating series that captured the essence of movement and speed. (Insert image of Erick Snowfro's /// collection here) This achievement highlights the series' ability to introduce talented artists to a fresh audience of enthusiasts. Snowfro's work resonated deeply with collectors unfamiliar with his previous work, demonstrating the power of the NFT space to expose new audiences to established artists. Jack Butcher: Democratizing Digital Art Ownership – Approximately 84% of collectors for his "Trademark" collection were first-time Butcher owners. Butcher, a pioneer in generative art, utilized his signature algorithmically generated style to create a dynamic collection that explored themes of branding and identity. (Insert image of Jack Butcher's "Trademark" collection here) The "Trademark" collection's innovative approach and accessible pricing structure attracted a new wave of collectors to the NFT space. By offering a variety of ownership tiers, Bybit Web3 made it possible for more people to participate in the NFT market, fostering a more inclusive and vibrant community. Ishan Pandey: Looking back, what were some key takeaways from the 2023 Velocity Series that Bybit Web3 will leverage for 2024? Emily: The series offered valuable insights on designing for multi-fan participation. We learned that seasoned collectors appreciate references and expansions on existing IP/universes, while beginners benefit from publicly available collections. Additionally, content creator remix competitions with merch integration, like Snowfro's with Joyn.XYZ, proved highly successful. Ishan Pandey: The theme for Velocity Series 2024 is "Data-Driven Ark." Can you give us a sneak peek into what to expect? Emily: We're incredibly excited about Velocity Series 2.0! This year, we're embracing the future of NFTs with a focus on innovation and decentralization. Here are some key highlights: Collaboration: We have a thrilling collaboration lined up, but it's still under wraps! Stay tuned for an exciting announcement soon.
New NFT Standards: We'll be exploring the potential of ERC-404 tokens, a revolutionary standard that combines fungible and non-fungible token characteristics. This paves the way for exciting possibilities like fractionalized NFT ownership.
Full DEX Experience: Bybit Web3 is committed to a decentralized NFT future. We'll leverage our own decentralized NFT and inscription marketplaces to provide a complete DEX experience. Bybit Web3 is at the forefront of shaping the NFT landscape. We are certain that Velocity Series 2.0 will be even more revolutionary than its predecessor since it will place a greater emphasis on community development, creativity, and collaboration. There is no denying that decentralization will be the future of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and Bybit Web3 is in an excellent position to do so. Ishan Pandey: Emily, I am grateful to you for sharing these eye-opening ideas. Our anticipation for the upcoming installment in the Velocity Series is palpable. Don’t forget to like and share the story! Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our brand-as-author program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR Bybit's Web3 operations have been a driving force in the NFT industry, notably with the amazing success of the 2023 Velocity Series. This achievement has been particularly noteworthy. We are ecstatic to have the opportunity to discuss the effect of the series, the exciting new partnerships that are scheduled for 2024, and your vision for the future of NFTs. NFTs. Ishan Pandey: The 2023 Velocity Series, a collaboration with Oracle Red Bull Racing, truly merged speed, technology, and art. Can you elaborate on the genesis of this project? Ishan Pandey: The 2023 Velocity Series, a collaboration with Oracle Red Bull Racing, truly merged speed, technology, and art. Can you elaborate on the genesis of this project? Emily: Yes. Here at Bybit Web3, we are firm believers that cooperation is the most important factor in driving forward the NFT business. By exhibiting the convergence of the thrilling world of Formula One with the inventiveness of prominent digital artists, the Velocity Series exemplified this principle at its core. The Velocity Series showcased the limitless possibilities that can be achieved when different industries come together to collaborate. Emily: A one-of-a-kind Web3 experience that was based on the RB19 racing vehicle was made possible by our collaboration with Oracle Red Bull Racing. Ishan Pandey: The series featured renowned artists like Erick Snowfro and Jack Butcher. How did Bybit Web3 foster their artistic expression and connect them with a wider audience? Ishan Pandey: The series featured renowned artists like Erick Snowfro and Jack Butcher. How did Bybit Web3 foster their artistic expression and connect them with a wider audience? Emily: We partnered with AOI, a renowned art and technology foundation, to assemble four visionary artists – Rik Oostenbroek, Per Kristian, Erick Snowfro, and Jack Butcher. Each artist created a unique NFT collection inspired by Formula One, coinciding with specific races throughout the season. Emily: Rik Oostenbroek: Captured the essence of speed and fluidity, amassing 70 ETH.

Explore Rik's Collection and dive deeper into the Speed, Art, and NFTs convergence. Per Kristian Stoveland: Brought nature into the digital realm, garnering 115 ETH.

Delve into Per Kristian's World. Erick Snowfro: Pushed the boundaries of abstract digital art, attracting 288 ETH.

__Embark on Snowfro's Artistic Odyssey __and view the collection here. Jack Butcher: Revolutionized the digital collectible market with his "Trademark" collection, achieving an incredible 952 ETH.


__Experience Jack Butcher's Vision __and explore the __Dutch Auction __and Open Edition pieces. Rik Oostenbroek: Captured the essence of speed and fluidity, amassing 70 ETH. Explore Rik's Collection and dive deeper into the Speed, Art, and NFTs convergence. Explore Rik's Collection and dive deeper into the Speed, Art, and NFTs convergence. Explore Rik's Collection and dive deeper into the Speed, Art, and NFTs convergence. Explore Rik's Collection Rik's Collection Speed, Art, and NFTs convergence . Speed, Art, and NFTs convergence Per Kristian Stoveland: Brought nature into the digital realm, garnering 115 ETH. Delve into Per Kristian's World. Delve into Per Kristian's World. Delve into Per Kristian's World. Delve into Per Kristian's World . Delve into Per Kristian's World Erick Snowfro: Pushed the boundaries of abstract digital art, attracting 288 ETH. __Embark on Snowfro's Artistic Odyssey __and view the collection here. __Embark on Snowfro's Artistic Odyssey __and view the collection here. __ Embark on Snowfro's Artistic Odyssey __and view the collection here. Embark on Snowfro's Artistic Odyssey view the collection here . view the collection here Jack Butcher: Revolutionized the digital collectible market with his "Trademark" collection, achieving an incredible 952 ETH. __Experience Jack Butcher's Vision __and explore the __Dutch Auction __and Open Edition pieces. __Experience Jack Butcher's Vision __and explore the __Dutch Auction __and Open Edition pieces. __Experience Jack Butcher's Vision __and explore the __Dutch Auction __and Open Edition pieces. __ Experience Jack Butcher's Vision __and explore the __ Dutch Auction __and Open Edition pieces. Experience Jack Butcher's Vision Dutch Auction Open Edition pieces . Open Edition pieces Bybit Web3 provided these artists with a global platform to showcase their work. We offered extensive marketing and promotional support, ensuring the series garnered significant attention within the NFT community. Ishan Pandey: Emily, with the Velocity Series 1.0 hailed as a monumental success, can you share what's new and exciting with the upcoming Velocity Series 2.0? Ishan Pandey: Emily, with the Velocity Series 1.0 hailed as a monumental success, can you share what's new and exciting with the upcoming Velocity Series 2.0? Ishan Pandey: Emily, with the Velocity Series 1.0 hailed as a monumental success, can you share what's new and exciting with the upcoming Velocity Series 2.0? Emily: Absolutely, Ishan. Building on the incredible momentum of the 2023 Velocity Series, we're elevating the experience with Velocity Series 2.0. This year, we're introducing "Data Driven Art," a novel concept that blends the thrill of racing with the creativity of digital art, all inspired by the achievements of the iconic RB20 F1 car. Another groundbreaking innovation we're excited about is the launch of fractional NFTs on the DN-404 protocol, a first in the industry. These fractional NFTs make ownership more accessible, allowing a wider audience to participate in our unique digital art collections. Emily: Ishan Pandey: That sounds like a significant leap forward. Can you delve a little deeper into the specifics of the Series 2.0 Pass sale and what it offers to fans and collectors? Ishan Pandey: That sounds like a significant leap forward. Can you delve a little deeper into the specifics of the Series 2.0 Pass sale and what it offers to fans and collectors? Ishan Pandey: That sounds like a significant leap forward. Can you delve a little deeper into the specifics of the Series 2.0 Pass sale and what it offers to fans and collectors? Emily: The Series 2.0 Pass sale, kicking off on April 12th, 2023, at 2PM UTC, promises an array of exclusive benefits. We're releasing an additional 1,000 passes, bringing the total to 2,000, to meet the overwhelming demand. Pass holders will gain access to three exclusive NFT artwork drops by world-renowned artists throughout 2024, along with token-gated activations and experiences related to the series. There’s also the exciting chance to win real-life prizes through our raffles. It's an opportunity for fans to deepen their connection with the world of Formula One and digital art like never before. Emily: Ishan Pandey: Beyond artistic exposure, the Velocity Series demonstrably broadened the collector base. Can you share some success stories? Ishan Pandey: Beyond artistic exposure, the Velocity Series demonstrably broadened the collector base. Can you share some success stories? Emily: Erick Snowfro: Exposing New Audiences to Artistic Brilliance – A staggering 92% of collectors for his /// collection were newcomers to his work. Snowfro, a renowned digital sculptor, used 3D modeling and animation to create a captivating series that captured the essence of movement and speed. (Insert image of Erick Snowfro's /// collection here) This achievement highlights the series' ability to introduce talented artists to a fresh audience of enthusiasts. Snowfro's work resonated deeply with collectors unfamiliar with his previous work, demonstrating the power of the NFT space to expose new audiences to established artists. Emily: Jack Butcher: Democratizing Digital Art Ownership – Approximately 84% of collectors for his "Trademark" collection were first-time Butcher owners. Butcher, a pioneer in generative art, utilized his signature algorithmically generated style to create a dynamic collection that explored themes of branding and identity. (Insert image of Jack Butcher's "Trademark" collection here) The "Trademark" collection's innovative approach and accessible pricing structure attracted a new wave of collectors to the NFT space. By offering a variety of ownership tiers, Bybit Web3 made it possible for more people to participate in the NFT market, fostering a more inclusive and vibrant community. Ishan Pandey: Looking back, what were some key takeaways from the 2023 Velocity Series that Bybit Web3 will leverage for 2024? Ishan Pandey: Looking back, what were some key takeaways from the 2023 Velocity Series that Bybit Web3 will leverage for 2024? Emily: The series offered valuable insights on designing for multi-fan participation. We learned that seasoned collectors appreciate references and expansions on existing IP/universes, while beginners benefit from publicly available collections. Additionally, content creator remix competitions with merch integration, like Snowfro's with Joyn.XYZ, proved highly successful. Emily: Ishan Pandey: The theme for Velocity Series 2024 is "Data-Driven Ark." Can you give us a sneak peek into what to expect? Ishan Pandey: The theme for Velocity Series 2024 is "Data-Driven Ark." Can you give us a sneak peek into what to expect? Emily: We're incredibly excited about Velocity Series 2.0! This year, we're embracing the future of NFTs with a focus on innovation and decentralization. Here are some key highlights: Emily: Collaboration: We have a thrilling collaboration lined up, but it's still under wraps! Stay tuned for an exciting announcement soon. New NFT Standards: We'll be exploring the potential of ERC-404 tokens, a revolutionary standard that combines fungible and non-fungible token characteristics. This paves the way for exciting possibilities like fractionalized NFT ownership. Full DEX Experience: Bybit Web3 is committed to a decentralized NFT future. We'll leverage our own decentralized NFT and inscription marketplaces to provide a complete DEX experience. Collaboration: We have a thrilling collaboration lined up, but it's still under wraps! Stay tuned for an exciting announcement soon. New NFT Standards: We'll be exploring the potential of ERC-404 tokens, a revolutionary standard that combines fungible and non-fungible token characteristics. This paves the way for exciting possibilities like fractionalized NFT ownership. Full DEX Experience: Bybit Web3 is committed to a decentralized NFT future. We'll leverage our own decentralized NFT and inscription marketplaces to provide a complete DEX experience. Bybit Web3 is at the forefront of shaping the NFT landscape. We are certain that Velocity Series 2.0 will be even more revolutionary than its predecessor since it will place a greater emphasis on community development, creativity, and collaboration. There is no denying that decentralization will be the future of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and Bybit Web3 is in an excellent position to do so. Ishan Pandey: Emily, I am grateful to you for sharing these eye-opening ideas. Our anticipation for the upcoming installment in the Velocity Series is palpable. Ishan Pandey: Emily, I am grateful to you for sharing these eye-opening ideas. Our anticipation for the upcoming installment in the Velocity Series is palpable. Don’t forget to like and share the story! Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our brand-as-author program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our brand-as-author program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR Vested Interest Disclosure: Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our brand-as-author program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR

Bybit Revs Up the NFT Market with Data-Driven Velocity Series 2.0

বাইবিট ডেটা-চালিত বেগ সিরিজ 2.0 সহ NFT বাজারকে উত্থাপন করে৷

Bybit bringt den NFT-Markt mit der datengesteuerten Velocity Series 2.0 in Schwung

Bybit acelera el mercado NFT con Data-Driven Velocity Series 2.0

Bybit relance le marché NFT avec Data-Driven Velocity Series 2.0

बायबिट ने डेटा-ड्रिवेन वेलोसिटी सीरीज 2.0 के साथ एनएफटी बाजार को बढ़ावा दिया

Bybit、データ駆動型Velocityシリーズ2.0でNFT市場を活性化

Bybit, 데이터 기반 Velocity 시리즈 2.0으로 NFT 시장 활성화

Bybit acelera o mercado NFT com Data-Driven Velocity Series 2.0

Bybit расширяет рынок NFT с помощью Data-Driven Velocity Series 2.0

Bybit, Veriye Dayalı Hız Serisi 2.0 ile NFT Pazarını Hızlandırıyor

Bybit thúc đẩy thị trường NFT với dòng vận tốc theo hướng dữ liệu 2.0

Bybit 通过数据驱动的 Velocity Series 2.0 加速 NFT 市场

Dear reader, please note that this article was written anonymously, as I am a person deep inside the Enterprise Linux ecosystem. I know "anonymous" is a big word, and if anyone wants to identify the author, they can. I'm against changes to RHEL code redistribution, and I believe that Red Hat is as much a "freeloader" on open source as any other company is on the RHEL codebase. However, I would like to share reasons why I will never install Rocky Linux on my servers. ever In this article, I would like to share some of the stories, misdeeds, and bad practices that explain why so many people do not like Rocky Linux. I also want to show that things are a bit more complicated than most Linux users think. Story 0: The original founder of CentOS The central figure in the case against Rocky Linux is Gregory Kurtzer. He is, for many people, the hero of the RHEL rebuild world. Many believe he is the father of CentOS, and Rocky is/will remain his beloved and, more importantly, free child. The term "The original founder of CentOS" comes from Kurtzer himself and has been spread like wildfire by PR companies (more on illegal, in most countries, and shady PR practices later). The only problem with this statement is that, in the opinion of many, including myself, it is not true. My doubts about Rocky Linux came exactly from this point, as one of my much older colleagues said that this was "not entirely true" (his exact expression was a “little” stronger). I would like to present some basic but important facts: Rebuilds started on the RHEL rebuilds mailing list. The name CentOS was announced by Rocky McGaugh. The Kurtzer was not interested in building a Red Hat Enterprise Linux (then Red Hat Linux) clone. The idea of creating a true distribution from RHEL was not his and had been discussed much earlier. Well, you can read a bit more on HN. And it's written by quite a famous person in the Linux world :) So why does Gregory Kurtzer claim to be the "original founder of CentOS?" Mainly because he started the Chaos Foundation, which took over the efforts to rebuild under a common name. [1] https://www.mail-archive.com/redhat-devel-list@redhat.com/msg07038.html [2] https://web.archive.org/web/20040630213827/http://www.caosity.org/pipermail/caos/2003-December/001205.html [3] - Gregory Kurtzer was not interested in building a RHEL clone https://web.archive.org/web/20040824032738/http://www.caosity.org/pipermail/caos/2003-July/000701.html [4] - Idea of creating Distribution on it's own https://www.mail-archive.com/rhel-rebuild-l@uibk.ac.at/msg00022.html [5] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33907452 Story 1: The Departure One of the main misconceptions about Gregory is that he left CentOS when, in fact, CentOS left his foundation. The people leading CentOS development didn't want to be part of Gregory's scheme. To this day, some of the "old guard" of CentOS are not "on the best of terms" with him. Fifteen years later, the CIQ CEO is much smarter - but unfortunately for the open-source community, in a very bad way. So, when articles like "What happened to CentOS will not happen to Rocky Linux” make the rounds, I think not only about bad changes to the lifecycle, but also about the fact that CentOS was able to leave the Gregory Foundation, but Rocky Linux cannot. Generally speaking, the person in question himself has a few versions of it; my favorite was presented by himself in the Changelog podcast: I was associated with it until Red Hat sued me. And then he said: It wasn’t a lawsuit, it was a threaten of a lawsuit, which was enough in my book to do it. [1] https://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos-devel/2005-March/077502.html [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/CentOS/comments/s77p49/comment/ht9v86o/ [3] https://changelog.com/podcast/427#transcript-87 Story 2: Foundation You may know that Rocky Linux is part of RESF—Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation. But if you are familiar with "foundations," especially US-based "foundations,” you know that many of them are broken by design. The Rocky Linux Foundation loosely promised to be a non-profit. But it isn't. It's for-profit and it has a single owner (Gregory Kurtzer). But there is more to the smoke and mirrors surrounding RESF. As you may know, they have governance and bylaws. So look at them and count how many people in that governance are not employed by or connected to the CIQ. By the way, the foundation broke its own statutes by not having a diverse governance :). I'm not going to read the bylaws again to see if they still do that, but if you find it, feel free to comment. Also, remember to read older bylaws and older about pages since it’s changed. The whole story is strong in media and PR. Take, for example, the ITWorld Canada article from 2022 In literally the same paragraph, you have the following sentences: The key for an open source initiative to grow and flourish,
Kurtzer said, is to is to register it as a non-profit organisation,
which is what the cAos Foundation. He did the same with Rocky Linux. And then: The Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF) is a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). Do you see the "little" problem here? I do not like to be lied to. And I do not like people being lied to, especially when it is such a primitive lie, literally in the same paragraph. [1] Look at the manipulative language used in this article https://www.zdnet.com/article/rocky-linux-foundation-launches/ [2] https://www.resf.org/about [3] https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxadmin/comments/15p1gbt/comment/jvyat0h [4] https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/what-happened-with-centos-will-not-happen-with-rocky-linux-kurtzer/501239 Story 3: Trademark ownership As I said, have you ever wondered why CentOS could leave the Greg Foundation? Well, one of the main reasons was that there was no clear ownership of trademarks/domains. Unfortunately, for the open-source community, that's not the case with RESF and Rocky Linux. As I said before, RESF has a single owner, and the Rocky Linux project does not have its trademarks. Rocky Linux, as an individual project, if it tries to leave RESF, can't use its name, logo, and other trademarks without permission from the RESF owner. So, good luck. So with CIQ/RESF milking Rocky Linux, there is no way the project can become independent. It's not a community project, it's a corporate project. From this point on, I will use arguments against CIQ/RESF/RL interchangeably. [1] https://www.zdnet.com/article/goodbye-centos-hello-rocky-linux/ [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/AlmaLinux/comments/15dr141/giving_rebuilders_a_bad_name_ciq_and_ansible/ [3] https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxadmin/comments/15p1gbt/comment/jw90zhc Story 4: Buying advertising against community-owned open-source projects These are the early days, and RL is losing to AlmaLinux. AlmaLinux is the first diversely governed foundation (and it is non-profit for real). So, what does CIQ do? They buy ads against several Linux distros, including AlmaLinux and CentOS. Is this legal? Yes, it is! Is this something that a "self-imposed non-profit" (this term is a joke) would benefit from? YES! Is this what the open-source community would do? NO! Buying ads against community-owned non-profit open-source projects while pretending to make one is against the general spirit of open source. Of course, Rocky Linux did not buy these ads; CIQ did, and they did it out of the goodness of their hearts. [1] https://twitter.com/ChrisLAS/status/1460668344156114944 [2] https://twitter.com/ChrisLAS/status/1420123460982894599 [3] https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/qv6mg2/comment/hkw046b/ Story 5: PR without disclosure In many cases, the CIQ/RESF/RL use PR firms to spread the word about themselves. Sometimes, they even sponsor Linux influencers, and they tend to leave out some facts :) (like CentOS leaving the former Kurtzer Foundation or RESF being a for-profit company owned by one person). Anyway, some PR tends not to mention the obvious conflict of interest and that the article is sponsored. And since it's very difficult, if not impossible, to verify the source of the PR, it's very hard to say whether the article is sponsored or not if it's not labeled. In my country and many EU countries, it's legal. Even in the US, it's not a legal problem; it shows poor ethics and morals of the: Writer PR company Publisher The company that sponsored it As I said, it's extremely difficult to catch someone red-handed. However, in the case of RL and CIQ, it has become quite well-known in the Linux community. [1] https://twitter.com/GordonMessmer/status/1675997483573612546 Story 6: Spreading FUD One of the biggest damages done to CentOS Stream has been the FUD spread by CIQ and others. The main point is that CentOS Stream is unstable and will never be production-ready. As someone who regularly compares packages and distributions, I can say this: CentOS Stream is stable and, in many ways, even better than RHEL, and that means it is even better than clones. The number of engineers working on CentOS Stream is greater than that of any other RHEL clone. The amount of testing done on CentOS Stream is orders of magnitude greater than any other RHEL clone. The CentOS Stream gives users real power to fix bugs and influence the future of the distribution. There has also been a lot of FUD spread about AlmaLinux. That AlmaLinux has taken "shortcuts,” especially when it comes to the subscription manager. If you're familiar with Subscription Manager, you know that it's designed to connect to Red Hat infrastructure, and Enterprise Linux clones don't install it by default. So, not including it in AlmaLinux is not a bad shortcut but a good decision. Later, it was added because it might also work with Foreman/Katello/Candlepin. The whole "AlmaLinux takes shortcuts" era was FUD in its purest form. Unfortunately, I can't find the source of this ATM, but I've seen it, and I'm sure one of the readers will be able to add it in the comments section. Other popular FUD spread about AlmaLinux, although I did not find CIQ employees saying it publicly: AlmaLinux uses CloudLinux infrastructure (they used it during the bootstrap phase, and it was very well-known) AlmaLinux is controlled by Russians (this one goes strong after Putler attacks Ukraine). CloudLinux controls AlmaLinux (not that CloudLinux CEO literally stepped down from the foundation; also, AlmaLinux has a much healthier board than RESF) Story 7: Being fu****g hypocrites So, you remember all that Red Hat drama about paywalled GPL sources? When Red Hat a "cancer" on open source? And users were "freeloaders"? One of the people who was very vocal about this was Gregory Kurtzer :). No matter what all the shouting was about: "Rocky going strong." "Protect the community." "Protect open source." Or nice PR from RESF: “I believe that open source should always be freely available and completely stable.
It should never be hidden behind a paywall, nor should it be controlled by a single company,”
states Gregory Kurtzer, founder of the Rocky Linux project and chair of the board of the
Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation, What's worse, they are doing the same or even more restrictive things than Red Hat. And other big words that are not worth mentioning because when it comes to real action, they are not there. Now, CIQ is giving back to the community by putting a paywall around the sources of CIQ Rocky Linux 8.8: Restrictions. The license granted in this Section 3 is conditioned upon
Customer’s and its Authorized Users’ compliance with this Agreement. Customer shall
not and shall ensure its Authorized Users do not: (i) permit any third party to use or
access the Software (except for the Authorized Users as permitted herein); (ii) install the
Software on more than the number of Licensed Hosts permitted under the applicable
Order; (iii) share access to the Software (including log in information or notifications)
with anyone who is not intended to be an Authorized User; (iv) provide, license,
sublicense, sell, resell, rent, lease, share, lend, or otherwise transfer or make available
the Software to any third parties, except as expressly permitted by Ctrl IQ in writing; (v)
except with respect to any access to Software that is licensed under an open source
license, modify, copy or create derivative works based on any content accessed through
the Software; (vi) except with respect to any Software that is licensed under an open
source license, disassemble, reverse engineer, decompile or otherwise seek access to
the source code of the Software; (vii) access the Software in order to build a competitive
product or services; (viii) remove, delete, alter, or obscure any copyright, trademark,
patent, or other notice of intellectual property or documentation, including any copy
thereof; (ix) transmit unlawful, infringing or harmful data or code to or from; or (x)
otherwise use the Software except as expressly permitted hereunder There is more. They made rebuilds of other RH products Red Hat Ansible Tower (or whatever they call it, ATM). They made it closed source. Then, after the community started noticing that it should be open source, after two weeks they decided to release code. So that's it when it comes to open-source heroes and giving back to the community. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/AlmaLinux/comments/1aurwrr/comment/kri9xpc/ [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/AlmaLinux/comments/15dr141/comment/ju3t9mv/ Story 8: Borrowed content - erratas So the CIQ/RESF/RL use Red Hat content, that's obvious. However, you need to remember that components have different licenses. So, if you are using the source code, the most important and, in many cases, only license is the one that is in the source code. If you are using Red Hat Portal or Support, the new restrictive EULA applies. If you use Red Hat errata, the errata text and content are protected. That's why some vendors have rather empty errata information, including one generated for CentOS. The most important parts of erratas are: List of packages CVEs numbers (for security erratas) The text is not that useful; you should probably read the CVE anyway, but some projects cannot help themselves and cannot be used without any consideration. Have a look at where you can read about it: https://errata.rockylinux.org/RLSA-2023:6818 Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation Satellite is a systems management tool for Linux-based systems. You can also find other examples, such as: Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation Identity Management (IdM) or Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation Entitlement Platform. Is it legal? I do not know. Ask a lawyer. Is it ethical? No. Story 9: Killing Open Source - CIQ versus Sylabs In late August 2023, news broke of a lawsuit against CIQ. Note that if I'm right, it's still ongoing. But for the moment, the court "DISMISSES all of Sylabs' claims WITH LEAVE TO AMEND." I'm not a lawyer, but I am an engineer. An open source engineer who's heard "we won't open it because it might hurt our business" or "it makes us vulnerable" time and time again. And I never liked that, but as I got older and saw people like Gregory Kurtzer, I started to understand. What Gregory did is the worst-case scenario for any company trying to build open-source projects. A company employs Kurtzer as CTO. This company makes software vital to its survival and expansion, just like any software company. Gregory was CTO when the company decided to open source its critical assets. (March 2020). Gregory leaves the company with extensive knowledge of customers, system internals, users, and contacts. As a C-level executive, he literally knows it all. Kurtzer started a new company, took part in the development team, and used it against the former company. Kurtzer profits from the old company code that was open-sourced during his time as CTO. By pulling this kind of stunt, one is killing open source—killing trust in open source companies and developers. You work with people you trust, and you never expect them to be your enemy the next day. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth that's hard to describe. Finally, I do not care about the future of Sylab, CIQ, or who is legally right. I care about the future of open source, and this kind of practice is a mortal wound to open source and free software. [1] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/24/lawsuit_claims_ciq_was_founded/ [2] https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.408847/gov.uscourts.cand.408847.59.0.pdf [3] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66863695/sylabs-inc-v-rose/ Other stories There are other stories, like why EPEL stopped doing count_me analyses for some time and why nobody takes them seriously anymore. Or about some key people officially working in public institutions and de facto doing work for a for-profit foundation. But I think the most important ones are covered. Some of these stories are only known to a small circle of people who go to the conference and know each other. Personally, I have left out some of them because it would literally say who I am or where I work. Summary When Red Hat "bought" the CentOS project, there were many red flags. We all know how it ended. Red Hat was then, and for many still is, the champion of open source. RESF/CIQ/RL was never there and never will be with its current smelly track record. And the sheer volume of red flags regarding them is by far more than it ever was with Red Hat. If you read this and install Rocky Linux, you are not only a fool but a dangerous fool. You are the fool who likes to be lied to and is incapable of understanding the bigger picture. I also omitted the technical part of the CIQ/RESF/RL. Perhaps I will return to this to this topic. In the next article, I will cover the joke called OpenELA.

The Case Against Rocky Linux

রকি লিনাক্সের বিরুদ্ধে মামলা

Der Fall gegen Rocky Linux

El caso contra Rocky Linux

Le cas contre Rocky Linux

रॉकी लिनक्स के खिलाफ मामला

Rocky Linux に対する反論

Rocky Linux에 대한 사례

O caso contra Rocky Linux

Дело против Rocky Linux

Rocky Linux'a Karşı Dava

Vụ kiện chống lại Rocky Linux

针对 Rocky Linux 的案例

United States v. Apple INC Court Filing, retrieved on March 21, 2024 is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This part is 4 of 25. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here A. Apple launched the iPod, iTunes, and the iTunes Store against the backdrop of United States v. Microsoft 26. When Apple began developing mobile consumer devices, it did so against the backdrop of United States v. Microsoft, which created new opportunities for innovation in areas that would become critical to the success of Apple’s consumer devices and the company itself. For example, the iPod did not achieve widespread adoption until Apple developed a cross platform version of the iPod and iTunes for Microsoft’s Windows operating system, at the time the dominant operating system for personal computers. In the absence of the consent decree in United States v. Microsoft, it would have been more difficult for Apple to achieve this success and ultimately launch the iPhone. 27. On May 18, 1998, the Justice Department and the attorneys general of 19 states and the District of Columbia filed United States v. Microsoft, an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft alleging that the company had violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act by monopolizing the market for Intel-compatible personal computer operating systems. At trial, the government successfully established that Microsoft took steps to undermine the competitive threats posed by “middleware,” such as web browsers like Netscape, after recognizing that if users could use middleware to access a variety of content and services via remote servers, over the internet, they might be less reliant on Windows. 28. Microsoft also took steps to undermine cross-platform technologies like QuickTime, a software architecture developed by Apple to play multimedia content (e.g., music and videos) on Apple’s Mac computers and Microsoft’s Windows PCs. In particular, Apple’s then-Senior Vice President of Software Engineering testified that Microsoft “[wrote] steps into its operating system to ensure that a QuickTime file will not operate reliably on Windows,” “trick[ed] the user into believing that QuickTime technology is part of the problem actually caused by the Windows operating system,” and “introduced greater technical incompatibilities between QuickTime and Microsoft products.” 29. In April 2000, the trial court ultimately found that Microsoft’s conduct violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act. An appeals court upheld the district court’s findings of liability regarding middleware. 30. In January 2001, Apple introduced iTunes, software built on Apple’s QuickTime architecture, and advertised it as “Jukebox Software” for organizing and listening to music. The initial version of iTunes was only compatible with Apple’s Mac computers. 31. Later that same year, Apple debuted the iPod, a portable digital audio player that worked alongside iTunes to “let[] you put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go.” Like iTunes, the initial iPod was only compatible with Mac computers. 32. On November 1, 2002, the trial court accepted a proposed consent decree in . Among other things, the consent decree prohibited Microsoft from retaliating against companies for developing or distributing products such as browsers and media players. The consent decree also required Microsoft to make various APIs available to third-party developers, including Apple. United States v. Microsoft 33. Following that consent decree in October 2003, Apple launched a cross-platform version of iTunes that was compatible with the Windows operating system. As a result, a much larger group of users could finally use the iPod and iTunes, including the iTunes Store. The iTunes Store allowed users to buy and download music and play it on their iTunes computer application or on the iPod. Apple benefited substantially from this new customer base. In the first two years after launching the iPod, Apple sold a few hundred thousand devices. The year after launching a Windows-compatible version of iTunes and gaining access to millions more customers, Apple sold millions of devices. Apple went on to sell hundreds of millions of iPod devices over the next two decades. Moreover, iTunes became the market leader in online music services. At an event in 2007, Apple’s then-CEO said of the iPod, “it didn’t just change the way we all listened to music, it changed the entire music industry.” At the same event, he announced that the company would change its name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in light of its shifting focus to consumer electronics rather than computers. 34. The ubiquity of iPod and iTunes on Windows, in part because of a successful antitrust enforcement action against Microsoft, contributed to the development and success of Apple’s next flagship product—the iPhone. But after launching the iPhone, Apple began stifling the development of cross-platform technologies on the iPhone, just as Microsoft tried to stifle cross-platform technologies on Windows. 35. In January 2007, Apple debuted the first-generation iPhone, describing the device as “an iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator,” and touting the fact that users could “sync[] content from a user’s iTunes library on their PC or Mac.” Apple marketed the iPhone as a smartphone that was easy to use. Reflecting on the company’s learning from the iPod, Apple’s then-CEO announced, “iTunes is going to sync all your media to your iPhone—but also a ton of data. Contacts, calendars, photos, notes, bookmarks, email accounts.” 36. The original iPhone cost approximately $299—approximately $450 in 2024 dollars adjusted for inflation—with a two-year contract with a phone carrier. 37. At launch, nearly all native apps for the iPhone were created by Apple. There were only about a dozen apps overall, including Calendar, Camera, Clock, Contacts, iPod, Messages, Notes, Phone, Photos, Safari, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Weather. 38. Within a year of launching the iPhone, Apple invited third-party developers to create native apps for the iPhone. Apple released its first software development kit—essentially the digital tools for building native apps on Apple’s operating system (iOS)—to encourage and enable third-party developers to create native apps for the iPhone. Apple also offered developers ways to earn money by selling apps and later in-app purchases and subscriptions. By 2009, Apple was running marketing campaigns highlighting the value that third-party apps provide to iPhone users with the trademarked slogan: “There’s an app for that.” 39. Apple’s decision to invite third-party participation on its iPhone platform benefited Apple, too. The proliferation of third-party apps generated billions of dollars in profits for Apple and an iPhone user base of more than 250 million devices in the United States. Apple’s market shares—over 70 percent of the performance smartphone market and over 65 percent of the broader smartphone market—likely understate its monopoly power today. 40. While Apple profits from third-party developers that increase the iPhone’s value to users, Apple executives understand that third-party products and services can, in their own words, be “fundamentally disruptive” to its smartphone monopoly, decreasing users’ dependence on Apple and the iPhone and increasing competitive pressure on Apple. Apple therefore willingly sacrifices the short-term benefits it would gain from improved products and services developed by third parties when necessary to maintain its monopoly. Continue Reading . Here About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case retrieved on March 21, 2024, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. justice.gov

How Apple Stole Pages from Microsoft's Monopoly Playbook

SQL has a long and proven history. It has survived the fuss around NoSQL. And even if not perfect, it has been demonstrated to be the best available language for data. This is no surprise! The story began in the 1960s with the development of databases—an era marked by the introduction of the Integrated Data Store (IDS) at General Electric. However, it was Edgar Codd's relational model that revolutionized data handling. His model, which turned data into a series of tables (or, more strictly, relations), has influenced database systems ever since. This era also saw the birth of SQL (Structured Query Language), which became the standard language for interacting with relational databases, including MariaDB and others. The utility of relational database systems So, why do we need all this database stuff? Let's imagine you're building an app, maybe a simple to-do list to keep track of your daily tasks. Initially, you might think, "Why not just save each task directly to a file?" After all, my programming language has constructs and libraries to save and read data from disk. Also, implementing this seems straightforward: create a task, write it to a file, delete a task, and remove it from the file. These are good points; however, as your app gains traction, users start to aggregate, and suddenly, you have thousands of users trying to add, delete, and modify tasks simultaneously. At this point, the simplicity of files becomes fragile. Imagine one user is updating a task at the exact moment another tries to delete it. Or maybe two users are editing the same task at the same time. With a simple file system, you're likely to end up with corrupted or lost data because there's no inherent mechanism to handle such conflicts. Databases handle these situations gracefully through the . Essentially, a set of principles ensures that even if your app crashes midway through an update, the data remains consistent, and no half-completed tasks are left hanging. Back to the to-do app example, imagine trying to move your task "Buy groceries" from to which also requires changing the property, but your app crashes right in the middle. With a relational database, it's all or nothing—either the task is marked complete and the property reflects the new time value, or it's like you never tried to update it in the first place, avoiding those incorrect half-states. ACID properties pending completed last_updated last_updated Now, let's consider data relationships. In your app, tasks might belong to different categories or users. In a file system, maintaining these relationships is cumbersome. You might end up with a separate file for each category or user, but then how do you quickly find all tasks across categories or ensure two users don't end up with the same task ID? Databases have the ability to manage complex relationships, making it easy to query all tasks for a specific user or category or even more complex queries like "show me the number of completed tasks for user U grouped by category C during the last month." Security is another biggie. In a file system, if someone gains access to your files, they have your data. Databases offer robust security features, like access controls and encryption, safeguarding your data from unauthorized eyes. And then there's the issue of growth. Your simple to-do app might evolve into a complex enterprise project management tool over time. With a file system, every change can feel like renovating a building with people still inside. Databases are built to be flexible and scalable, meaning they're designed to grow with your needs, whether you're adding new features or handling more users. In the end, choosing a database over a simple file system is about preparing for success while standing on solid ground. It's about ensuring that as your app grows, your data remains secure, consistent, and manageable and your users happy. After all, no one likes losing their to-do list to a random crash or waiting forever for their tasks to load because the system is bogged down handling conflicts and searches! A bit of history It was Edgar Codd who proposed the relational model for databases, and since he was a mathematician, he formalized the concepts by creating what is called relational algebra and relational calculus. All this was theoretical until IBM and others started to implement the concepts in academic and research projects. They also wanted to come up with a standard language for querying data in relational databases. At first, they invented QUEL (Querying Using the English Language) at the University of California, Berkeley. At IBM, researchers wanted to come up with their own language and started a project that I perceive more as a game between colleagues called SQUARE (Specifying Queries Using a Relational Environment). This led to a query language that had a scientific-like notation with subindexes and super-indexes, which was hard to type on computer keyboards. To solve this, they redefined the language to only use standard characters and, in an ingenious and probably friendly mockery way, called it SEQUEL. This name, however, was a trademark in the UK, which prevented them from using it. They removed the vowels in SEQUEL, and boom! SQL was born. By 1986, SQL would become an ISO and ANSI standard. As a curious historical remark, although their inventors had to rename SEQUEL to SQL, they continued to call it "sequel." Even today, many software developers and IT professionals continue to pronounce it "sequel." The name Structured Query Language (SQL) would appear later. The utility of SQL SQL is a declarative language, meaning that you specify what you want to get and not how to get it. The database is in charge of doing whatever needs to be done to get the data requested. SQL isolates database complexity. A database is a complex piece of software with tons of algorithms implemented in it. These algorithms deal with different ways to get data stored in disk or memory. Different algorithms are more efficient in different circumstances, which include different queries and different datasets. For example, in MariaDB, a component called the is in charge of deciding what algorithms to use given a SQL query and stats gathered on the actual data. The query optimizer analyzes the SQL query, the data structures, the database schema, and the statistical distribution of the data. It then decides whether to use an index, which joining algorithm is the best, and how to sequence the operations. This process involves a remarkable amount of complexity and mathematical precision, all of which the database abstractly manages for you. As a developer, you only need to worry about constructing the query to get the data you need and let the database figure out whether to use an index or not (with some datasets, not using an index could be faster), B-trees, hash tables, and even whether to add the data to an in-memory cache, as well as many other things. query optimizer SQL also allows you to handle writes, that is, creating and updating data. It also allows you to define the schema of the database, or in short and over-simplifying, the tables and their column structure. In fact, there's much more that SQL allows you to do, and its functionality can be divided into four categories: Creating and manipulating the schema. Data definition language (DDL): Inserting, updating, and deleting data from the database. Data manipulation language (DML): Retrieving data from the database. Data query language (DQL): Dealing with rights and permissions over the database and its objects. Data control language (DCL): In my more than 15 years of experience in the industry, I have rarely seen the previous categories used in a work environment, with the exception of DDL, which refers to activities related to handling database schema updates. These categories are useful mostly in academic circles or in teams implementing relational database management software. However, it's good to know that these terms exist and are used by others as they help in discussions around database technology. With this in mind, let me briefly touch on one of such discussions. Some would say that developers have to deal only with DML and DQL, while DDL and DCL are DBAs' concerns. In practice, this division is not so easy to make. Developers need to understand how database objects (like tables and columns) are created and how access to these objects is managed. However, it is true that developers spend most of their time writing SQL statements to modify and query data. You'll see that this book focuses on DML and DQL while explaining other categories as needed. On the other hand, DBA's are experts on everything database—from infrastructure and general database management to SQL query optimization and migration, a DBA is always a valuable brain to have in your team. Conclusion So, in conclusion, databases solve real problems that application developers face, thanks to their ability to ensure data integrity through ACID properties, manage complex relationships, and provide robust security features. I only scratched the surface here, but this should be enough to give novice IT practitioners a quick refresh on the importance of relational databases and SQL. Also published . here

Why Databases and SQL Matter: The Pillars of Modern App Development

Okay, there has been a lot of movement in the tech space recently, and here’s the latest scoop – Bard just flipped the script and turned into Gemini, and we are here scratching our head, trying to catch the vibe. It's like one day you're all comfy with your go-to tech buddy, and the next, it's got a new name, new look, and you're like, "Wait, what just happened?" So, why the big switch-up? In the tech world, specifically the space, continuously moving forward is a mandate or you will get left behind. Bard becoming Gemini is more than them just slapping on a new label and calling it a day. Of course, it goes deeper than that. It is more like they're sending out a message to the world, "Hey, we're leveling up, taking things to a whole new dimension." But for real, does a new name mean we're about to get our minds blown, or is it just the same old tunes on a brand-new speaker? software development And let's be honest – every time a favorite app or software pulls the rebrand card, there's a hot minute of chaos. The forums light up, Twitter's, oh wait, X’s got memes for days, and everyone's got an opinion. Some are hyped, thinking Gemini's about to drop some groundbreaking features or shake up the game. Others are side eyeing, wondering if it's all just smoke and mirrors to hype up something that's basically the same deal. But here's where it gets interesting. A rebrand like this? It's a chance to hit the refresh button. Now, Gemini has got the stage, the spotlight is on, and it's their move to show us what's new. Are we getting some next-level features, smoother interfaces, or some crazy AI magic that we didn't even know we needed? Because, hey, let's face it, if you're going to go through the whole drama of changing names and all, you better bring the goods. And this is not the first time a tech giant has made this kind of move. Here are some examples from yesteryears: Microsoft's Windows Live to OneDrive (2014) Microsoft rebranded its cloud storage service from SkyDrive to OneDrive after a trademark dispute. Beyond just a name change, the rebrand was accompanied by new features and improvements, emphasizing the service's role in connecting and unifying the Microsoft ecosystem. This is a great example of how a rebrand can be an opportunity to revitalize a service with new features and a clearer value proposition. Google to Alphabet (2015) In a surprising move, Google restructured its business and introduced Alphabet as its new parent company in the year 2015. This rebranding allowed Google to broaden its scope beyond search and advertising, venturing into areas like health technology, self-driving cars, and other innovative projects. This rebranding signified a strategic shift and expansion of a company's vision and operations. Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc. in 2021) Facebook, Inc. rebranded itself as Meta Platforms, or simply Meta, to reflect its focus on building the "metaverse". This strategic move aimed to position the company beyond social media, signaling its commitment to developing new immersive experiences. Again, this example illustrates how a rebrand can represent a pivot towards new technologies and market opportunities. Yet, amidst all the buzz, let's not forget – it's not just about what Gemini's serving, but also about what we're vibing with. This whole name-change saga is a conversation, a chance for us to throw in our two cents. Like, what do we want to see in this new Gemini era? More collaboration features, killer design tools, or maybe some eco-friendly tech vibes? Well, only time will tell. Wrapping it up, Bard transforming into Gemini can be best explained as that plot twist you didn't see coming. It's got us all watching, waiting to see if they're about to drop something epic or if it's just the same old story with a flashy new cover. Either way, we are here for it, ready to dive in and see what Gemini has got. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope they're about to take us on a wild ride into the tech future!

Bard's Now Gemini and We’re Low-Key Shook – Here's the Tea on Software Rebranding

Bard's Now Gemini and We are Low-key Shook - এখানে সফটওয়্যার রিব্র্যান্ডিং এর চা

Bard ist Now Gemini und We’re Low-Key Shook – hier ist der Tee zum Thema Software-Rebranding

Bard's Now Gemini y We're Low-Key Shook: aquí está el té sobre el cambio de marca del software

Bard est maintenant Gémeaux et nous sommes discrets – Voici le thé sur le changement de marque des logiciels

बार्ड्स नाउ जेमिनी और वी आर लो-की शुक - यहाँ सॉफ्टवेयर रीब्रांडिंग पर चाय है

Bard は Gemini になり、私たちは控えめに動揺しています – ソフトウェアのリブランディングについてのお茶です

Bard's Now Gemini 및 We're Low Key Shook - 소프트웨어 브랜드 변경에 관한 이야기는 다음과 같습니다.

Bard's Now Gemini e We’re Low-Key Shook – Aqui está o chá sobre a reformulação da marca de software

Bard's Now Gemini и мы сдержанно потрясены – вот чай о ребрендинге программного обеспечения

Bard Artık İkizler ve Biz Düşük Anahtarlı Sarsıldık - İşte Yazılımın Yeniden Markalanması Üzerine Çay

Bard's Now Gemini và chúng tôi là Low-Key Shook - Đây là ý kiến về việc đổi thương hiệu phần mềm

巴德现在是双子座，我们很低调——这是关于软件品牌重塑的茶点

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