Lightning Labs’ Taro Project Faces Halt as Judge Issues Temporary Injunction for Trademark Infringement

Frederick Munawa
16 Mar 2023 10:16 PM
The decision in the case brought by fellow blockchain software developer Tari Labs raises questions about trademark enforcement in the open source community....
- Tari Labs sued Lightning Labs for trademark infringement over the use of the name "Taro" for its protocol that allows users to issue assets on the Bitcoin blockchain.
- Judge William H. Orrick issued a temporary injunction forcing Lightning Labs to halt further development of Taro until the project has been sufficiently rebranded.
- Tari argued that it and Lightning compete in the same digital blockchain ecosystem, provide similar goods and services, and market to similar developers and users.
- The lawsuit has drawn criticism from members of the open source community who insist that trademark enforcement has no place in free and open source software.
- Tari Labs launched Tari, a blockchain protocol that focuses on digital assets, in April 2020 and subsequently registered the name as a company trademark.
- Lightning Labs announced Taro two years after Tari's debut, and a test version of the software was released last September.
- The injunction means Lightning's development of Taro has been halted and Lightning Labs will have to rebrand or appeal the decision before moving forward.
The article presents a legal dispute between Tari Labs and Lightning Labs over trademark infringement. The sentiment is neutral, with Tari Labs expressing disappointment that litigation was necessary and members of the open source community criticizing trademark enforcement. Lightning Labs has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.
Related Questions
What is the name of the protocol that Lightning Labs developed that Tari Labs sued for trademark infringement?
What is Tari Labs' blockchain protocol focused on?
What was Lightning Labs' response to Tari Labs' offer to help brainstorm new names?
What is the sentiment of the open source community towards trademark enforcement in this case?
What are the options for Lightning Labs after the temporary injunction halting further development of Taro?
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