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Apache Spark casually gets called Spark, and it especially gets called Spark when referring to subprojects. For instance there's Spark Core, Spark Streaming, an

Apache Spark casually gets called Spark, and it especially gets called Spark when referring to subprojects. For instance there's Spark Core, Spark Streaming, and PySpark. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Spark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Spark BTW the trademark: https://spark.apache.org/trademarks.html https://spark.apache.org/trademarks.html

TheCapeGreek 2y ago
The wording of this does imply they've trademarked the word Spark, but that really doesn't sound likely.
- jkaplowitz 2y ago
  Trademarks are automatic when certain criteria such as usage in commerce are met, at least under the statutory or common law of most/all US states and some other countries with English colonial histories; certain US federal protection under the Lanham Act can also be automatic. You’re probably thinking of registered trademarks which are indeed not automatic. Both kinds are often illegal to infringe, but unregistered trademarks have fewer and weaker remedies in court. Whenever you see the raised TM symbol, that’s claiming trademark status but not necessarily registered trademark status. The R in a circle is restricted to registered trademarks. You can see here that Apache’s trademark for Spark is unregistered, but that doesn’t make it invalid (at least in the US and the other countries I alluded to): https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/list/#unreg_s https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/list/#unreg_s Fun fact: it’s also possible to register trademarks with US states, but that’s almost always worse than doing so federally with the USPTO, and federal registration is valid nationwide. State-level trademark registration is mainly a historical artifact predating the federal trademark system, but it’s still technically available.
golly_ned 2y ago
And the article refers to “spark applications”, which immediately brought to mind the Apache Spark.

TheCapeGreek 2y ago

The wording of this does imply they've trademarked the word Spark, but that really doesn't sound likely.

jkaplowitz 2y ago
Trademarks are automatic when certain criteria such as usage in commerce are met, at least under the statutory or common law of most/all US states and some other countries with English colonial histories; certain US federal protection under the Lanham Act can also be automatic. You’re probably thinking of registered trademarks which are indeed not automatic. Both kinds are often illegal to infringe, but unregistered trademarks have fewer and weaker remedies in court. Whenever you see the raised TM symbol, that’s claiming trademark status but not necessarily registered trademark status. The R in a circle is restricted to registered trademarks. You can see here that Apache’s trademark for Spark is unregistered, but that doesn’t make it invalid (at least in the US and the other countries I alluded to): https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/list/#unreg_s https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/list/#unreg_s Fun fact: it’s also possible to register trademarks with US states, but that’s almost always worse than doing so federally with the USPTO, and federal registration is valid nationwide. State-level trademark registration is mainly a historical artifact predating the federal trademark system, but it’s still technically available.

golly_ned 2y ago

And the article refers to “spark applications”, which immediately brought to mind the Apache Spark.