Further to the news item published last week which reported the reaction to the Scrum Alliance's proposal to trademark the term Scrum User Group, the trademark application has been withdrawn.
In a letter to members of the Scrum Alliance on 26 July the CEO, Manuel (Manny) Gonzalez stated
Scrum Alliance is excited that our community has grown to more than 400 user groups worldwide, and we continue to work hard to support our membership. Our organization has invested more than a million dollars around the globe in user groups and has provided tools and support to help them form, grow, and succeed.
We believe that Scrum User Groups are created by the community and for the community. We have no plans to change, close, or alter user groups in any way. They help you stay current on best practices, share experiences, and solve problems. As the Agile Scrum community grows, we are working on launching a new platform that will increase engagement and ease of use and provide a place for Scrum practitioners to network, learn, and connect.
In 2014 our Board of Directors led the development of an exciting strategic business plan that will launch the organization to new levels. Under this new direction, we feel there is no need to continue our filing for the Scrum User Group trademark. Therefore, we have asked our legal counsel to withdraw the filing.