Lindows is a cock-a-hoop over a decision by a Seattle district court judge not to allow an injunction against the knock-off Linux distro.

That's because "windows" is a generic term, according to the Judge, denying the Microsoft motion. He cited evidence - including Microsoft's own dictionary of computing - to support the view that a window manager was already a generic term for a distinct class of software by the time Microsoft first announced Windows in late 1983.

At the time, computers running windowing systems were expensive and rare - the Apple Lisa was launched in January of that year - but the term itself had already been in widespread for some time.

One of the most curious facts highlighted by the case is that Microsoft only filed a trademark for "Windows" with the USPTO in 1990, seven years after the original announcement.

The judge's decision paves the way for a full trial in April next year. The Lindows site is here. ®

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