It is still under construction and content may change. Do not rely on the information on this page. This page has not been approved by any legal authority. The official guidelines for using the Fedora trademarks are located here.
This page is a drafting space for use cases that will help us define new guidelines for the trademarks. Please add use cases you think are missing. If you want to discuss these guidelines, use the "discussion" page (link at top). Add use cases in the "Uncategorized" section, please, along with notes on where you think they should go.
Use by Red Hat
Fedora® and the Infinity design logo are trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. Except as provided in these guidelines, you may not use "Fedora" or any confusingly similar mark as a trademark for your product, or use "Fedora" in any other manner that might cause confusion in the marketplace, including in advertising, on auction sites, or on software or hardware. Red Hat protects the Fedora trademarks on behalf of the entire Fedora community. As the trademark owner, Red Hat strives to use the trademarks under the same guidelines as the rest of the community.
Use by the Fedora Board
The Fedora Board oversees the trademark guidelines to ensure compliance by the community. The Board grants permission for uses requiring it, as explained below, where practical, and serves as the first line of mediation when questions of use arise.
Usage That Does Not Require Permission
Personal web sites
Alice wants to indicate her love for Fedora by putting the logo on her personal blog.
It is permissible to use the Fedora trademark and the Infinity design logo on personal websites to show your support for the Fedora Project, provided that:
- the use is not disparaging to Red Hat or to the Fedora Project
- the design logo hyperlinks to the Fedora Project website, http://fedoraproject.org/
- the use is in connection with promoting the Fedora Project
- the site indicates clearly that it is not affiliated with or endorsed by Red Hat or the Fedora Project
- To pass this test, a site must include the text "This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Red Hat, Inc., or the Fedora Project" prominently on any page that includes the Fedora trademarks.
- If the Fedora trademarks appear in a page header or any area that is designed to be presented on more than one page, than the notice must also be designed to be presented on all of those pages as well. (I.e., if the Fedora marks appear in a site-wide header, the informational text must appear in that header or an identically site-wide footer.)
- the site does not use visual styling that could be confusing to viewers or visitors as to whether the site is hosted by or on behalf of Red Hat or the Fedora Project
- the site does not use the Fedora trademarks to imply endorsement of or affiliation with any goods or services, other than the Fedora Project itself
Proper trademark symbols must be used in connection with the Fedora trademarks and the trademark attribution statement must appear as explained in Proper trademark use.
Business web sites
Bart wants to offer Fedora media for sale at his computer retail business' web site. Buck wants to have a prominent branded link to the Fedora Project on his business site, since he uses Fedora regularly to power his business. Bertha has a Linux consulting business and provides clients with services for Fedora systems.
It is permissible to use the Fedora trademark and the Infinity design logo on business web sites, provided that:
- the use is not disparaging to Red Hat or to the Fedora Project
- the design logo hyperlinks to the Fedora Project website, http://fedoraproject.org/
- the use is in connection with promoting the Fedora Project
- the use does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by Red Hat or the Fedora Project
- the use of the Fedora trademarks does not imply endorsement of or affiliation with any non-Fedora goods or services
Provided these guidelines are observed, it is permissible to use the Fedora trademarks to sell unmodified Fedora media, and to advertise services for Fedora-based systems (installation, configuration, troubleshooting, etc.)
Proper trademark symbols must be used in connection with the Fedora trademarks and the trademark attribution statement must appear as explained in Proper trademark use.
Business cards
Cathy wants to have a Fedora business card for trade shows to indicate she's an Ambassador.
It is permissible to use the Fedora trademarks without prior permission on business cards to identify one's affiliation with the Fedora Project, provided the business card follows the Fedora Ambassador Business card template located at INSERT URL HERE. Proper trademark symbols must be used in connection with the Fedora trademarks as explained in Proper trademark use.
Copies of official Fedora media
Dirk wants to make homemade labels for official Fedora media he's giving to other people.
It is permissible to use the Fedora trademarks without prior permission to label media containing unmodified copies of software officially released by the Fedora Project, provided proper trademark symbols are used in connection with the Fedora trademarks and the trademark attribution statement appears as explained in Proper trademark use.
Promotional events
Ethel wants to pass out fliers at an open source event and show that Fedora is represented there.
It is permissible to use the Fedora trademarks and Infinity design logo without prior permission to promote open source events where individuals in the Project appear as ambassadors, distribute Fedora media, or otherwise represent the project, provided:
- proper trademark symbols are used in connection with the Fedora trademarks as explained in Proper trademark use, and
- the official logo usage guidelines are strictly observed.
Distributing Fedora software
Hereinafter, "Spin" refers to a combination of software packages and other software on a medium used to boot or install a computer operating system similar to the media distributed in various forms by the Fedora Project. Examples include but are not limited to:
- installation CDs and DVDs,
- live bootable CDs, DVDs, and USB devices, and
- any copies of those media in a format suitable for data interchange.
Unmodified Fedora software
Arnold wants to make a spin that includes only software that's in the official Fedora repository.
Community members may use Fedora trademarks without prior permission, on and in conjunction with media that includes only software included in the official repositories, provided proper trademark symbols are used in connection with the Fedora trademarks and the trademark attribution statement appears as explained in Proper trademark use.
Unmodified Fedora software, with other content separately on same physical medium
Cathy wants to make a Live USB key with a Live image that includes only Fedora software, plus place additional content (documents, non-Fedora software) on the same USB key.
This use follows the guidelines that pertain to the Live image, since that is the only material whose distribution these guidelines cover.
- If spin is pure, it's still Fedora
- If spin is derived, it uses the secondary mark
Fedora-derived spins
Betty wants to make a spin that includes some software not included in the official Fedora repository.
Community members may apply for Board permission to use the "Fedora Upstream" mark on and in conjunction with media derived from Fedora software but which includes other materials as well, provided that:
- ???
Sarah has a spin that is 100% within the Fedora repository, but she is carrying several of her own patches, and including those in her re-spin.
Community members may apply for Board permission to use the "Fedora Upstream" mark on and in conjunction with media derived from Fedora software but which includes other materials as well, provided that:
- ???
Usage That Requires Permission
Community members must obtain prior permission to use the trademarks in the following situations.
Domain names
Alexa wants to set up a domain called "fedora-rulez.org."
Community members may apply through the Fedora Board for a trademark license to use the Fedora trademarks in a domain name.
- Why not just let everyone do this? Because then we get things like "f***fedora.org". And how about "fedora11.org", "fedora12.org"... etc.? Ugh.
Non-software goods
Brent wants to sell Fedora-branded CD cases.
Community members may apply through the Fedora Board for a trademark license to use the Fedora trademarks on non-software related goods, services, or other entities.
- The Fedora Store (whatever that becomes) should be a way to do this through a pre-approved channel. Once the goods are determined to be acceptable, branding should be a given.
Unapproved Use
The following uses are not approved under any foreseeable circumstances.
- Violations of the Logo Usage Guidelines or Trademark Usage Guidelines
- Any use not covered in these guidelines.
- Use of the logo in ways that the Fedora Board and/or Red Hat, Inc. deem unacceptable.
The trademark owner retains and reserves all rights to the trademarks and their use. These guidelines may be changed from time to time at the sole discretion of the trademark owners as needed.
Secondary Mark
Referred to in this draft as a "Fedora Upstream" mark. That wording is a placeholder only, and will likely not be used. This is a mark or set of marks that are separate and distinct from the official Fedora logo. They may be related by use of the word "Fedora," but are not to be mistaken for the official Fedora logo. Using the secondary mark may involve other requirements, such as a statement either in print or in another prominent location stating that the end user is not receiving purely Fedora software, and letting them know where they can get official Fedora software.