Understanding trademark policy

  • Hi there,
    This is probably a really simple question that you answer daily but what I’m struggling with is this.

    In the trademark policy it speaks of how permission is not granted for use of the WordPress name/ logo unless certain criteria are met. Specifically:-

    “* The primary purpose of your project is to promote the spread and improvement of the WordPress software.
    * Your project is non-commercial in nature (it can make money to cover its costs or contribute to non-profit entities, but it cannot be run as a for-profit project or business).
    * Your project neither promotes nor is associated with entities that currently fail to comply with the GPL license under which WordPress is distributed.”

    Yet it also says:
    “All other WordPress-related businesses or projects can use the WordPress name and logo to refer to and explain their services, but they cannot use them as part of a product, project, service, domain name, or company name and they cannot use them in any way that suggests an affiliation with or endorsement by the WordPress Foundation or the WordPress open source project.”

    The latter section refers to other WordPress-related businesses/projects but this seems to violate the former section in that to run a business, one is looking to make profit.

    Thus I’m admittedly a little confused as to how/if I am able to reference the WordPress name/logo on my website.

    The service I intend to offer is bespoke web design built on the WordPress platform, and thus it would be good to ensure that customers were aware of this from the get go as opposed to saying that we offer web services built on a generic CMS so that there was no ambiguity and complete transparency could be ensured. This is however a commercial venture; a freelancing business aiming to make profit.

    Please could you let me know how to proceed, I do not wish to break policies/procedures and thus request your help.

    By the by, I did use the contact form on the WordPress foundation website to try to find answer that way but have yet had no reply, nor am I sure how long I should wait (as there is no reference on the site to estimate reply time, or even if they reply at all), so too have I scoured both Google and the forums, and read and reread the policy itself. But I’m just really struggling to understand it.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this message.

    Warm regards,

    Chenille

    The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • Moderator Steven Stern (sterndata)

    (@sterndata)

    Volunteer Forum Moderator

    You can say (as I do) “I build websites using WordPress”. What you can’t do is call yourself ‘TheWordPressGuy.com’.

    Note: I am not a lawyer, but that much is pretty clear from the policy.

    Moderator Jan Dembowski

    (@jdembowski)

    Forum Moderator and Brute Squad

    The WordPress trademark policy is quite clear. It also says what is allowed and what isn’t. If you need to ask then don’t use the logo.

    Thus I’m admittedly a little confused as to how/if I am able to reference the WordPress name/logo on my website.

    I’m not sure how this is unclear.

    Similarly, it’s OK to use the WordPress or WordCamp logo as part of a page that describes your products or services, but it is not OK to use it as part of your company or product logo or branding itself. Under no circumstances is it permitted to use WordPress or WordCamp as part of a domain name or top-level domain name.

    You can use the logo in a post describing what you do with WordPress. You can reference the logo as part of the work you do.

    You cannot use the logo to represent your company or effort.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
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