Groupon waives use of Gnome brand name

After strong criticism, Groupon has decided to withdraw its application for the Gnome brand name and not use the name for products. The Gnome Foundation, the creator of the Linux desktop environment of the same name, has already raised money for a lawsuit.

Groupon previously said that the company would look for a solution and that decision has now been made, the discount site has announced. “We have decided to withdraw the trademark applications for ‘Gnome’,” the company said. “We will be looking for a new name for our product.”

On Tuesday, the clash between Groupon and the Gnome Foundation seemed likely to lead to a lawsuit. Groupon wanted to use the Gnome brand name for an electronic payment system and even filed trademark applications for the Gnome name, much to the ire of the Gnome Foundation. He has been using the Gnome name for his Linux desktop environment for years.