Re: Community Input Requested on Trustees’ Intent to Renounce “IETF Secretariat” Trademark

[Ray Pelletier <[e-mail]>]

On Apr 4, 2014, at 2:09 PM, David Morris <[e-mail]> wrote:

> 
> An english interpretation would be helpful ... I think this is saying is
> that "IETF Secretariat" is not needed because we have "IETF" as a
> registered trademark (and thus "IETF Secretariat" remains protected)?

That is correct.

Ray



> 
> 
> On Fri, 4 Apr 2014, IETF Administrative Director wrote:
> 
>> All;
>> 
>> The Trustees of the IETF Trust have voted an intent to renounce (abandon) the ?IETF Secretariat?
>> trademark, but before taking any action they desire to hear from the community.
>> 
>> Specifically:
>> 
>> It is the Trustees? intent to:
>> 
>> 1. Not renew the ?IETF Secretariat? trademark, Registration 3860848, in the European Community
>> at an approximate cost of $5,000 USD for a ten-year period when due on May 28, 2014, and
>> thereby renounce the trademark as having no foreseeable future value in accordance with Article 7.1a
>> of the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, <http://trustee.ietf.org/trust-agreement-2014.html>.
>> The trademark has no foreseeable future value as the ?IETF? trademark is registered in the European
>> Community and its use with Secretariat is protected.
>> 
>> 2. Not renew the ?IETF Secretariat? trademark, Registration 2392833, in the United States at an unknown
>> future cost when the trademark expires on October 10, 2020, and thereby renounce the trademark as
>> having no foreseeable future value in accordance with Article 7.1a of the Amended and Restated Trust
>> Agreement, <http://trustee.ietf.org/trust-agreement-2014.html>.  The trademark has no foreseeable
>> future value as the ?IETF? trademark is registered in the United States and its use with Secretariat is
>> protected.
>> 
>> Authority:
>> 
>> The Trustees have the authority to renounce the trademark in accordance with Article 7.1a of the
>> Amended and Restated Trust Agreement after consulting with the Beneficiary.
>> <http://trustee.ietf.org/trust-agreement-2014.html>
>> 
>> This Article states in relevant part:
>> "the Trustees may, after due consultation with the Beneficiary, dispose of, assign, sell, transfer,
>> renounce, convey or terminate Trust Assets that are of no current or foreseeable future value to
>> the Beneficiary and which require the expenditure of funds to retain.This exception does not
>> include RFCs.?
>> 
>> The purpose of this announcement is to begin the consultation with the Beneficiary, the IETF
>> Community.  This thirty (30) day comment period expires on 5 May 2014.  The Trustees will consider
>> the Community input before making a decision whether to renounce the ?IETF Secretariat? trademark
>> or not.
>> 
>> Your feedback is appreciated.
>> 
>> Thanks
>> Ray Pelletier
>> IETF Administrative Director
>> Trustee
>> IETF Trust
>> 
>