path: root/english/trademark.wml

#use wml::debian::template title="Debian Trademarks"
#use wml::debian::toc

<toc-display />


<toc-add-entry name="trademarks">Trademarks</toc-add-entry>

<p>Debian is committed to protect and ensure consistent usage of its trademark,
logos, and styles and also make it easier for every <em>bonafide</em> user to
use. As a part of this process, the Debian trademark is a registered United
States trademark of <a
href="https://www.spi-inc.org/corporate/trademarks/">Software in the Public
Interest, Inc.</a>, managed by the Debian project. For <em>registration outside
the United States</em>, we have filed a <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid_system">Madrid Protocol</a>
application to extend the protection in the European Union, China and
Japan; the Debian trademark is also registered
<a href="https://gru.inpi.gov.br/pePI/servlet/MarcasServletController?Action=searchMarca&amp;tipoPesquisa=BY_NUM_PROC&amp;Source=OAMI&amp;NumPedido=827045310">in Brazil</a>,
N. do processo 827045310, but it is expired.</p>

<p>The Debian trademark was first <a
href="http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&amp;entry=75386376">registered</a>
the 21st of December of 1999, but has been in use since August 1993. It is
registered under the Nice Class 009: <q>Computer Utility and Operating System
Software</q>.</p>


<toc-add-entry name="policy">Trademark Policy</toc-add-entry>

<pre><code>Version: 2.0
Published: 19 January 2013
</code></pre>

<p><a href="https://www.spi-inc.org/">Software in the Public Interest, Inc.</a>
owns a number of trademarks in both word and logo form including brands,
slogans, styles. This policy encompasses all marks, in word and logo form,
collectively referred to as <q>Debian trademarks</q>. You can see a
non-exhaustive list of Debian trademarks, including both registered and
unregistered (but otherwise legally recognized) trademarks at our
<a href="#trademarks">trademarks page</a>.</p>

<p>The objective of this trademark policy is:</p>

<ol>
  <li>to encourage widespread use and adoption of the Debian trademarks,</li>
  <li>to clarify proper usage of Debian trademarks by third parties,</li>
  <li>to prevent misuse of Debian trademarks that can confuse or mislead users
    with respect to Debian or its affiliates.</li>
</ol>

<p>Please note that it is not the goal of this policy to limit commercial
activity around Debian. We encourage businesses to work on Debian while being
compliant with this policy.</p>

<p>Following are the guidelines for the proper use of Debian trademarks by
publishers and other third parties. Any use of or reference to Debian
trademarks that is inconsistent with these guidelines, or other unauthorized
use of or reference to Debian trademarks, or use of marks that are confusingly
similar to Debian trademarks, is prohibited and may violate Debian trademark
rights.</p>

<p>Any use of Debian trademarks in a misleading and false manner or in a manner
that disparages Debian, such as untruthful advertising, is always
prohibited.</p>


<h3>When You Can Use the Debian Trademarks Without Asking Permission</h3>

<ol>

  <li>You can use Debian trademarks to make true factual statements about
    Debian or communicate compatibility with your product truthfully.</li>

  <li>Your intended use qualifies as <q>nominative fair use</q> of the Debian
    trademarks, i.e., merely identifying that you are talking about Debian in a
    text, without suggesting sponsorship or endorsement.</li>

  <li>You can use Debian trademarks to describe or advertise your services
    or products relating to Debian in a way that is not misleading.</li>

  <li>You can use Debian trademarks to describe Debian in articles, titles
    or blog posts.</li>

  <li>You can make t-shirts, desktop wallpapers, caps, or other merchandise
    with Debian trademarks for <em>non-commercial usage</em>.</li>

  <li>You can also make merchandise with Debian trademarks
      for <em>commercial usage</em>. In case of commercial usage, we recommend
      that you truthfully advertise to customers which part of the selling
      price, if any, will be donated to the Debian project. See
      our <a href="$(HOME)/donations">donations page</a> for more information
      on how to donate to the Debian project.</li>

</ol>


<h3>When You Can NEVER Use the Debian Trademarks Without Asking Permission</h3>

<ol>

  <li>You cannot use Debian trademarks in any way that suggests an
    affiliation with or endorsement by the Debian project or community, if the
    same is not true.</li>

  <li>You cannot use Debian trademarks in a company or organization name or
    as the name of a product or service.</li>

  <li>You cannot use a name that is confusingly similar to Debian
  trademarks.</li>

  <li>You cannot use Debian trademarks in a domain name, with or without
    commercial intent.</li>

</ol>


<h3>How to Use the Debian Trademarks</h3>

<ol>

  <li>Use the Debian trademarks in a manner that makes it clear that your
    project is related to the Debian project, but that it is not part of
    Debian, produced by the Debian project, or endorsed by the Debian
    project.</li>

  <li>Acknowledge Software in the Public Interest, Inc.'s ownership of the
    Debian trademark prominently.

    <p><em>Example:</em></p>

    <p>[TRADEMARK] is a (<q>registered,</q> if applicable) trademark owned by
    Software in the Public Interest, Inc.</p>
  </li>

  <li>Include a disclaimer of sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement by
    Debian on your website and on all related printed materials.

    <p><em>Example:</em></p>

    <p>X PROJECT is not affiliated with Debian. Debian is a registered
    trademark owned by Software in the Public Interest, Inc.</p>
  </li>

  <li>Distinguish the Debian trademarks from the surrounding words by
    italicizing, bolding or underlining it.</li>

  <li>Use the Debian trademarks in their exact form, neither abbreviated or
    hyphenated, nor combined with any other word or words.</li>

  <li>Do not create acronyms using the Debian trademarks.</li>

</ol>


<h3>Permission To Use</h3>

<p>When in doubt about the use of Debian trademarks, or to request permission
for uses not allowed by this policy, please send an email to
<a href="mailto:trademark@debian.org?subject=Trademark%20Use%20Request">\
trademark@debian.org with subject <q>Trademark Use Request</q></a>; be sure to
include the following information in the body of your message:</p>
<ul>
<li>Name of the User</li>
<li>Name of the organization/project</li>
<li>Purpose of Use (commercial/non-commercial)</li>
<li>Nature of Use</li>
</ul>


<h3>Newer Versions of this Policy</h3>

<p>This policy may be revised from time to time and updated versions shall be
available at <url https://www.debian.org/trademark>.</p>


<h3>Guidelines for Using Logos</h3>

<ul>

  <li>Any scaling must retain the original proportions of the logo.

  <li>Do not use the Debian logos as part of your company logo or product logo
    or branding itself. They can be used as part of a page describing your
    products or services.

  <li>You need not ask us for permission to use logos on your own website
    solely as a hyperlink to the Debian project website.

</ul>

<p>
For any queries with respect to these guidelines, please send an email to
<email "trademark@debian.org">.
</p>

<toc-add-entry name="licenses">Organisations Licensed to Use Debian Trademarks</toc-add-entry>

<p>The following organisations have been licensed to use
the Debian trademark through a License Agreement:</p>

<ul>

<li>Stiftelsen SLX Debian Labs, per SPI's resolution
<a href="https://www.spi-inc.org/corporate/resolutions/2004/2004-01-05.bmh.1/">\
2004-01-05.bmh.1</a>.</li>

<li>Vincent Renardias and <q>Les logiciels du soleil</q>, per SPI's resolution
<a href="https://www.spi-inc.org/corporate/resolutions/1999/1999-08-06.mgs/">\
1999-08-06.mgs</a>.</li>

<li>
debian.ch, <a
href="https://lists.debian.org/debian-www/2011/04/msg00163.html">\
by Stefano Zacchiroli</a>, Debian Project Leader in 2011.
</li>

</ul>