SSH trademarks and the OpenSSH product name

[Tatu Ylonen]

> However, I think you're at a decision point with your trademark of
> the SSH name.  Either it's a protocol and it's a standard name, or
> it's your company's name and it's proprietary.  I think that asking
> a protocol to go to internet draft standard status and THEN, after
> last call, calling reserved words of that protocol proprietary is
> unfair and dishonest.  Is it 'ok' to use the three letters 'SSH'
> in the initial version exchange "SSH-1.5-OpenSOMETHINGELSE_2.3.2"?
> Should we even have to think about it?

I have proposed to the IETF working group that the name of the standard be
changed.  It is better if the standard name is something neutral.  The
floor is open for proposals :-)

There is no problem with the bits on the wire.  If needed,
SSH Communications Security Corp is willing to grant to the IETF an
explicit trademark license that allows the bits of the IETF protocol to
remain unchanged without any implementor needing separate licensing.

The trademark issue has been plain and clear indicated in the
"Intellectual Property Issues" section of the IETF drafts for a long time.
It has also been discussed with the area directors and working group
chair on several occasions over the years.

    Tatu

SSH Communications Security           http://www.ssh.com/
SSH IPSEC Toolkit                     http://www.ipsec.com/
SSH(R) Secure Shell(TM)               http://www.ssh.com/products/ssh