Trademark Usage Guidelines

The below guidelines supplement The Linux Foundation Trademark Usage Guidelines, available at www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Together, they govern use of all LF Decentralized Trust trademarks.

Please use the ® symbol with the first mention of Hyperledger® in all materials, and the ™ symbol with the first mention of LF Decentralized Trust™ or any other unregistered LF Decentralized Trust trademarks in all materials. The Linux Foundation maintains a list of its registered trademarks.

Needed Approvals

• All press releases that use any LF Decentralized Trust trademark, including project brands, whether registered or not, are required to be passed by the LF Decentralized Trust PR team for approval at pr@lfdecentralizedtrust.org.
• You may not use our marks in domain names for products or services related to LF Decentralized Trust or technologies without prior approval. Nor can you use Hyperledger on your own web pages in a way that represents a product or service offering, without our prior approval. Obtain approval via trademark@hyperledger.org.
• We also strongly recommend that if you prepare marketing collateral within which you plan to use the words “Hyperledger” or any of the LF Decentralized Trust project brands, submit to trademark@hyperledger.org for discussion and approval.

Rules and Policies Applicable to Hyperledger Marks Owned by The Linux Foundation

In addition to the generally applicable rules discussed in The Linux Foundation Trademark Usage Guidelines, there are a few specific rules that we ask everyone to follow when using trademarks related to one of the LF Decentralized Trust projects, special interest groups, or the organization itself.

• Do mention The Linux Foundation with the first use of LF Decentralized Trust in formal materials (e.g., “LF Decentralized Trust, hosted by The Linux Foundation”) and do use “LF Decentralized Trust” when referring to the organization (e.g., “Acme is a member of LF Decentralized Trust”).
• Do include a trademark notice with your other similar notices, and include a link to the  LF Decentralized Trust website, if possible (e.g., “Copyright Acme 2021. All rights reserved.  LF Decentralized Trust is a trademark of The Linux Foundation.  See lfdecentralizetrust.org”).
• When referring to a specific LF Decentralized Trust project do use ‘Project name’, an LF Decentralized Trust Project.’  The same applies for Hyperledger branded project. , Use the full project name (e.g., “Acme uses Hyperledger Iroha, an LF Decentralized Trust project”).
• Similarly, when referring to a specific technical working group or special interest group, do use the full group name (e.g., “Acme participates in the LF Decentralized Trust® Financial Markets Special Interest Group”).
• Do let LF Decentralized Trust staff know if you plan an event or are putting out a press release centered around or mentioning LF Decentralized Trust or technologies and contact us if you have any questions about proper trademark use. 
• Don’t use “Project name” or “Hyperledger Project” to refer to the organization–use LF Decentralized Trust™.
• Don’t modify any LF Decentralized Trust trademarks or logos or project logos (e.g., do not abbreviate them, add hyphens or other characters, or change the colors, orientation or any other visual aspect of any logos).
• Don’t use any LF Decentralized Trust trademark in a misleading way, which includes the following:
  • Don’t use LF Decentralized Trust trademarks in connection with any products or services that are not related to, built for or associated with the software projects hosted by LF Decentralized Trust.
  • Don’t use your company name possessively with any LF Decentralized Trust trademark  (e.g., “Acme’s Project,” “Acme’s Fabric,” “Iroha by Acme,” “Acme’s Besu Project,” “Acme’s Hyperledger Fabric”).
  • Don’t add your company logo(s) on LF Decentralized Trust marketing materials, such as official presentations, unless expressly permitted to do so by LF Decentralized Trust staff. Don’t create marketing materials that look like they are coming from LF Decentralized Trust rather than your company.
  • Don’t make any LF Decentralized Trust project logo larger than your own company’s logo(s).
  • Don’t use the LF Decentralized Trust trademarks in a way that creates a sense of endorsement, sponsorship, or false association with LF Decentralized Trust (e.g., “LF Decentralized Trust approved,” “LF Decentralized Trust certified,” “a product by a LF Decentralized Trust member”) or in connection with a project that has not been accepted into the LF Decentralized Trust organization.
  • Don’t use a LF Decentralized Trust trademark in connection with a Meetup with three  or more speakers from the same company; use the company’s trademarks.
  • Don’t deliberately give the impression that a company is the “main” company behind LF Decentralized Trust or any of its projects, or is otherwise harmful to the organization, its members or other projects.
  • The LF Decentralized Trust trademarks have been created and their use is expressly permitted for a specific purpose.  Do not use any LF Decentralized Trust trademarks in any commercial or marketing context other than as expressly permitted in this policy or The Linux Foundation Trademark Usage Guidelines unless you have obtained explicit written permission from LF Decentralized Trust to do so.

Guidelines for Products/Services Built with LF Decentralized Trust Technologies

Do use the following format and wording to describe how LF Decentralized Trust projects support a product or service offering:

[Vendor name] [Product name] [Product version]* for -OR- based on -OR- powered by [Project name] [Project version],*an LF Decentralized Trust project.

*Product Version and Project Version are optional for marketing materials, but must be included in tech specs. E.g. Acme Blockchain Services (v1.4) powered by [Project name] (v2.0) , an LF Decentralized Trust Project 

Questions, Comments, Concerns

We look to our community to help us retain the value of the LF Decentralized Trust trademarks. If you have questions with respect to these guidelines or to report concerns regarding the use or misuse of a LF Decentralized Trust trademark, or to obtain written permission for a proposed use of LF Decentralized Trust trademarks, contact: trademark@linuxfoundation.org.

The Linux Foundation may release new versions of these LF Decentralized Trust trademark guidelines or The Linux Foundation Trademark Usage Guidelines from time to time without notice.