From now on, Galileo Press is named Rheinwerk Publishing
Dear Customers,
We gave ourselves a new name, Rheinwerk Publishing. This was not a voluntary decision, and certainly not an easy one. But unfortunately, we will most likely be denied the right to further use the name "Galileo Press". This bears significant risks for our business, so we decided to change our name.
Our name is now Rheinwerk Publishing. We chose this name because "Rheinwerk"–in English, "Rhine River factory"–has been intertwined with our company’s history for a long time: It is the name of the old factory grounds close to the Rhine River in Bonn, Germany, where our company headquarters are located.
More importantly, though, Rheinwerk does not just signify a place where some of our offices happen to be. As Galileo evoked what has defined our work from the beginning—enjoyment, energy, creative mobility–so too does the Rhine River, unceasingly working its way toward the sea. The determination of the river is inspiration for the quality, reliability, and editorial skill that we, by any name, strive to bring to publishing. Thus, the new name reinforces and conserves what the old name stood for.
Rest assured that, as Rheinwerk Publishing, we will keep publishing books and e-books that deserve your appreciation and help you reach your professional goals.
With best regards, and on behalf of the entire Rheinwerk team
Managing Director
Background
The British software group Travelport filed a claim against the registration of the trademark "Galileo Press" with the German Patent and Trademark Bureau (Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt). So far, successfully. A final decision on the case is still pending, but there is a possibility that we will be denied further use of our name, which would force us to withdraw our products from the market with short notice. To avoid this scenario, we decided to rename our company at a time when we are still in control of the process.
Travelport is the largest vendor of software solutions for the travel industry. Galileo Press is not the first and only company whose use of the name "Galileo" was challenged by Travelport. Most prominently, the European aerospace and defense corporation EADS (today: Airbus Group) was forced to change the name of their satellite navigation system "Galileo".