[Marketing] Trademark FAQ Review

[Alex Mandel]

On 11/23/2010 11:32 AM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
> Alex,
> Had a quick skim over the document and think you have done a good job.
> 
> Couple of comments:
> * Under "Service Providers"
> You start with "OSGeo Sponsors ..." which I suspect you mean to say
> "OSGeo Service Providers ..."
> 
Thanks for catching that, a little too much copy/paste going on last night.

> * Under OSGeo Chapter
> I suggest changing the following:
> "Chapters may either display their own logo alongside the OSGeo logo
> and/or use a slightly modified version of the OSGeo logo."
> to
> "Chapters may display their own logo and/or the OSGeo logo.  Chapter
> logos can be a modified version of the OSGeo logo."
> 
> Note that some chapters have modified the OSGeo-Logo image. Eg Aust-NZ:
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Aust-NZ
> 
Actually I meant what I said. Since the decision is still out, we never
reached a conclusion in the marketing committee, and possibly requires
the board to nod in approval, I was erring on the cautious side which is
that sure it's ok to modify the OSGeo logo if you are a chapter but you
also should show the regular OSGeo logo with it. To me this is the only
way to really play it safe under Trademark laws, and to be clear when a
Chapter is recognized by OSGeo and demonstrate it's relationship to OSGeo.

You can see from the language I chose, that I'm discouraging, but not
banning the use of a highly modified OSGeo logo without also putting the
regular osgeo logo on the page. The wiki page you mentioned actually
meets this recommendation, as the OSGeo logo is in the upper left of the
page.

Note: Copyright isn't an issue because we can easily do a CC-NC but
Trademark is a whole different game. There's also the question of Brand
dilution.

Thanks,
Alex


> On 23/11/10 15:04, Alex Mandel wrote:
>> > From our last couple of meeting agendas I've attempted to clarify some
>> of the Trademark questions that have some up.
>>
>> Temporarily the information is on:
>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/TrademarkGuidelines
>>
>> I suggest once reviewed and approved in our next meeting we move the
>> material onto the main website.
>>
>> To go along with these examples I have a few additional recommendations:
>> - Add additional examples be added to the main Trademark FAQ.(See above)
>> - The Link to Trademark and Trademark FAQ be made more obvious. (Any
>> ideas, I got there from searching the wiki)
>> - Styling be used to clearly highlight the examples in text and NOT be
>> used instead of not.
>> - Also possibly accompanied by a giant green checkmark or a big red
>> circle cross out for good/bad.
>>
>> We actually have fairly good material on the subject, so I guess people
>> just aren't finding it or need more examples.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Alex
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