Please rename project as it violates ISRG trademark

[bdaehlie]

We (ISRG / Let's Encrypt) do not allow clients to use our service's name in their client name. We recommend you use the term "ACME" instead, in reference to the protocol. This is better because there are no trademark issues and the protocol is not specific to our CA so your client should work with other ACME-enabled CAs in the future.

I know this can be a pain but we have to insist that the name change. Thanks for understanding.

[SteffenAL]

Read https://letsencrypt.org/trademarks/

[WouterTinus]

@lone-coder - if we're going to have to rename the program, it might be good time to move the repository as well. I would suggest two options, in order of preference.

1. We move to https://github.com/PKISharp - which is the collection of C# based ACME tooling
2. We create new organisation for 'Acme-Win-Simple'. I guess nobody has trademarked AWS ;).

It would be possible to create a fork and update the readme in this branch, but I'd much rather keep the whole history, list of issues, etc.

[WouterTinus]

@bdaehlie - your request makes a lot of sense to me and I'll try to get it done as soon as possible.

@anyone: Ideas for a new name?

[Ivn78]

winacme.exe :)

[WouterTinus]

Not bad!

[ScottHuston]

I'm not sure that they have wordmark case against letsencrypt-win-simple.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark_infringement

While Wikipedia is not a perfect legal resource, none of the issues presented there seem to indicate there is an infringement issue.

Under "Factors" I would say that your use of letsencrypt is not "in commerce" (unless you're making money from it which is not obvious) nor likely to confuse consumers.

Under "Consumer Confusion" I would suggest:

1. Unknown
2. The proximity of the goods enhances ISRG brand
3. Again, enhances ISRG brand
4. Have them demonstrate this
5. You are not marketing letsencrypt-win-simple are you?
6. Do they offer their own client for Windows? No.
7. Do you have the intent to confuse consumers or steal business or notoriety from ISRG?
8. They have no stated intention in this regard, nor have I heard you're intending to move into ISRGs space.

And, they have another client listed on their site "Let's Encrypt for Hiawatha"...

If you opt to, change it the least amount possible.

letsacme-win-simple.exe

(and ISRG guys reading this, "No" I have no affiliation with this project except as a user, however, you do have better things to do than to chase a project that is working to help you accomplish your stated goals.

Notably:

We do this because we want to create a more secure and privacy-respecting Web.

Cooperative: Much like the underlying Internet protocols themselves, Let’s Encrypt is a joint effort to benefit the community, beyond the control of any one organization.

Maybe you're not joint enough.

[LBegnaud]

Even if it isn't a 100% legitimate, as users of their fine platform, I'm inclined to submit to a reasonable request like this. It is a bit interesting how turning a blind eye to simple infractions like this can wind up biting someone like ISRG in the ass later down the line. Also, while it's a bit annoying, it is true that it's more accurate to call this an ACME tool rather than specifically for let's encrypt.

I vote for acme-win-simple.exe and yes if we can move the project underneath an umbrella of other ACME tools that seems to be a smart move for visibility. Not sure how @lone-coder feels about that, though :)

[ScottHuston]

I don't disagree. Much.

I would have a different reaction except they claimed to not allow it but they have another client listed on their website and their use of the word insist which moves it out of the realm of reasonable request.

And, they could resolve the issue of "later down the line" by just granting the use of the wordmark in a limited application. No blind-eye is turned. Explicit permission is given.

I like acme-win-simple.exe.

I wouldn't be in a hurry @lone-coder. As I don't think they actually can make a case, make whatever change on your terms and timing.

[Bryan-Legend]

I'm happy to rename the project to whatever. How about, totallynotletsencrypt-win-simple?

I also really like win-acme.

Ideally I'd like to see the ownership of this project taken over by ISRG / Let's Encrypt. @bdaehlie is that something that we could make happen?

[varzaman]

I'm just a simple user but I also like the name win-acme.

[Bryan-Legend]

So since we've not heard back from @bdaehlie I guess we will go ahead and transfer to PKISharp and rename to win-acme. @WouterTinus are you good with that?

[WouterTinus]

Yes that's fine by me!

[WouterTinus]

I'm not sure how Github handles moving repositories (e.g. temp/permanent redirects?), but if it doesn't do anything it would be great if you could create a new placeholder project at this location explaining the move. This page is being linked all over the place and it wouldn't be easy to find again if it just disappeared.

[Bryan-Legend]

@WouterTinus @bdaehlie I did the rename.

I tried to do the ownership transfer but it said "You don’t have the permission to create repositories on PKISharp". Can you or @ebekker gimme rights there?