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Some context from that thread I find important (I’m a bystander not involved in any way):

> We would need to work with a lawyer to determine the IP issues around this. It’s possible that just using the same policy as for the WebAssembly logo works, but I know that various organizations have grown more concerned about IP in this space since then.

> This is in no small part because your company, Wasmer, attempted to register “WebAssembly” and “Wasm” as trademarks. The USPTO rejected the application, but I don’t think we can assume that attempts to register a brandmark for a WASI logo would be similarly rejected.

This doesn’t seem to be a he said she said situation; gp had the chance to defend himself and all he could come up was a very weak “The trademark requests were driven by our lawyers” (and what came after that was even more shameless if you ask me): https://github.com/WebAssembly/WASI/issues/3#issuecomment-71...

Given that context, I’d say the gp comment (especially the “personal bias” part) is likely motivated smearing.

Bottom line: don’t make up your mind just because it’s the top comment of an HN thread, or because the discrimination/racism card is played (racism card isn’t played here, it’s in the linked GH issue). If you want to form an opinion, read the other side first.



There is much more context to the "personal bias" statement than what is provided in the thread.

But 100% agreed, it's essential to stay critical before making your mind on a given thing.


If there’s more context you’re certainly not communicating it very well and all we see is some company attempting to trademark something they neither invented nor owned and crying discrimination with little to no supporting evidence.

Also, did you delete your downvoted comment then post the same thing in a new one? I saw your comment posted a while ago, in the gray, then when I refreshed before responding, bam, “0 minutes ago”. That’s not cool.


No doubt. It clearly seems that I'm not communicating well enough. But just to be clear: is not in Wasmer intent to own the Wasm trademarks (as stated in the Github issue).

And to answer your question: yes, I deleted the comment because I thought it was going to start a non-productive discussion (it had 1 point at the moment of deletion). Then I realized deleting could provoke some other issues, and decided to repost again.

Yeah, I know there is a spectrum of people that downvote my comments... and it's ok!


> But just to be clear: is not in Wasmer intent to own the Wasm trademarks (as stated in the Github issue).

Then why register?


"Our lawyers made us".

Lawyers can't make you do anything. They can advise. They can't act without your consent.


And expensive. I've dealt with the USPTO through professionals and the crackling sounds my burning savings made were quite loud.


We registered the trademarks as part of other process that we were not super diligent with.

We also course-corrected as soon as we realized of it, much before it came public a few weeks ago.


> We registered the trademarks as part of other process that we were not super diligent with

You accidentally attempted to register a trademark?

I have never heard of that. Either you are small enough that the non-trivial tediousness and cost of the process catches a lot of attention. Or you are large enough to have a general counsel overseeing a documented chain of approvals.


What other process?




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