Lindows to disappear in Europe

Following on from Microsoft's recent court victory over Lindows, the desktop Linux reseller has decided to change its name in Europe - and it's been asking for a little help from cyberspace in picking a new moniker.

The legal spat was settled in Europe when an attempt by Lindows to get the European rulings thrown out by a US court failed - meaning that a ban on using the word Lindows - too similar to the software giant's Windows - still stands in several European countries, including Finland, Sweden and the Benelux countries.

Now, Lindows' CIO wants a new name for the company in Europe - Lindows will retain its original handle in the US - and has been taking suggestions from techies as to what its new name should be.

Lindows' CEO said on the company's website that he believes that it is being persecuted because it's a desktop Linux company and as such is threatening Microsoft's desktop dominance.

"Some people may be puzzled about why Microsoft is attacking Lindows and not doing the same for Red Hat - a leading Linux server company. Microsoft has their targets set on Lindows because we are a desktop company... Microsoft will attack anything that it believes challenges its desktop monopoly, since it is its life blood," he said.

Sceptics might suggest the fact that Red Hat's company name doesn't sound much like Windows might be a good reason why Microsoft hasn't taken it to court. Yet.

The Lindows team have vowed to fight on until they clear up the international legal confusion with a new name for its European operations. "The company will go by a different name outside the US until it can win the right to use the Lindows name internationally," Robertson said. It will be unveiling its revamped identity on 14 April.

Robertson said that of all the suggestions he's seen, he prefers the name Lindos, accompanied by the slogan "because it's the W that is causing all the problems."

This won't be Lindows first flirtation with a renaming. Following the European court wins, Lindows briefly went by the title Lin---s or Lindash but later ditched the idea.