of Interchain Foundation, Gartenstrasse 4, CH-6300 Zug, Switzerland, and/or its affiliates (collectively "ICF") on the use of ICF's trademarks.
Trademark Policy Overview
The interchain is a vast ecosystem covering many active, sovereign communities.
As stewards of the interchain, the Interchain Foundation’s work supports hundreds of chains and apps built using the Interchain Stack and over 100 IBC-connected blockchains. As part of this work, we hold a number of trademarks for the interchain ecosystem, Interchain Stack, and the Cosmos Network.
We created this trademark policy to serve the mission of developing and promoting the interchain alongside our communities, and to prevent harm or malicious behaviour arising from the use of these trademarks.
The aim of the policy is to allow members of the community to use our trademarked terms. You should be able to freely use our trademarks when referring to your project or service – if it’s part of the ecosystem or built on our tech stack – so long as it is not implied that you are providing some kind of “official” service. Essentially, we take a permissive approach to the use of these trademarks by our community, as long as their use is not misleading or has the intent to harm or trick people.
In the next section, we detail our full trademark policy. However, here is a quick summary of the key do’s and don'ts.
Do
- use our trademarks for creating interchain community content - videos, graphics, posts, etc.
- use our trademarks when referring to your project as being built with the Interchain Stack.
- use our trademarks to signify that you are part of the interchain ecosystem.
For example, you can say “Acme Dashboard Inc, the interchain explorer” (i.e. you are using our trademark to describe what you do) or you can create an infographic showing IBC volumes and use the Cosmos/Interchain/IBC logos.
Don't
- use the trademarks in any way to imply you are connected to ICF in an official capacity.
- use the trademarks in the name of your company or domain name, or for commercial services. If you want to do this, please get our written permission first.
For example, you should not say: “Cosmos Inc, the blockchain network explorer” (i.e. you are using our trademark in your name, implying some form on official connection)
Our Trademarks
- INTERCHAIN
- COSMOS
- COSMOS ATOM
- ATOM
- CometBFT
The Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol (fig.)
This Trademark Policy applies to all trademarks owned or controlled by the Interchain Foundation.
For more information, if you’re planning to make use of the trademarks, please refer to the full policy below, or contact us at legal@interchain.io.
FULL INTERCHAIN TRADEMARK POLICY
The Interchain Foundation creates, owns and manages the trademarks for the names and logos used to designate products and services related to the interchain ecosystem, Interchain Stack, the Cosmos Network and other brands related to its current and future activities (herein referred to as "Interchain Trademarks"; a current list can be accessed below.
1. Purpose
Trademarks are a signifier of the identity and reputation of a product or service. They are vitally important for open source projects like those pursued and supported by the Interchain Foundation. In open source projects, the copyright subsisting in code is open. The asset that everyone can rely on as a reference of quality and trust is the trademark. Putting the official Interchain logos and designations on a product or service is therefore an important step. We want to protect the value of these assets for the integrity and benefit of the entire community, ensuring that this accrues for the benefit of the community as the community continues to grow.
This Trademark Policy was developed with the following goals in mind:
- We want to make it easy for anyone to use the Interchain Trademarks for community-oriented efforts.
- We want to make it clear how Interchain-related businesses and projects can (and cannot) use the Interchain Trademarks.
- We would like to make it hard for anyone to use the Interchain Trademarks to unfairly profit from, trick or confuse people who are looking for official Interchain resources.
2. Scope
- This Interchain Trademark Policy provides general guidance on the Interchain Trademarks, their use and reference to such trademarks.
- This Trademark Policy covers all word marks, firm names, names of services or products, acronyms, designs, logos, slogans, and other branding features, whether applied for/registered or not, owned or used by Interchain Foundation and/or its affiliates (collectively "Interchain Trademarks"), to identify and distinguish the Interchain Foundation as the source, enabler or provider of services and products.
- The portfolio of Interchain Trademarks may develop over time. The following is a list of our current trademarks:
- INTERCHAIN
- COSMOS
- COSMOS ATOM
- ATOM
- CometBFT
The Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol (fig.)
This Trademark Policy applies to all trademarks owned or controlled by the Interchain Foundation.
- The Interchain Trademark Policy applies to all officers, employees, licensees and partners of the Interchain Foundation, and all others intending to use Interchain Trademarks or refer to the Interchain Foundation in their own communications, in promotional, instructional or referencing materials, in all media, on labels and packaging or other materials. With the use of Interchain Trademarks, you agree to this Interchain Trademark Policy and (if existing) the additional requirements in separate agreements.
- With its Trademark Policy, the Interchain Foundation does not grant any rights, except for the limited right to use as expressly set forth in this Trademark Policy. The Interchain Foundation will retain the exclusive right to apply for and obtain registrations for the Interchain Trademarks throughout the world.
- The Interchain Foundation does expressly exclude any warranties, including with regard to the validity and enforceability of the Interchain Trademarks and for the fitness of the Interchain Trademarks for any specific purpose.
- The Interchain Foundation may amend its Trademark Policy from time to time and will publish it on its website at www.interchain.io. Please check the website periodically to make sure that you comply with the current version of the Trademark Policy.
3. General rules for the Use of Interchain Trademarks
All members of the community may use the Interchain Trademarks to make reference to the Interchain Stack, Interchain Foundation, to the Cosmos Network, and to their own contributions and services related thereto, but they cannot use them as a designation of a product, project, service, domain name, or company name without prior permission.
Example of yes: “Acme Dashboard Inc, the interchain explorer”
Here, the company is called “Acme Dashboard Inc”, and they are using our trademark “interchain” to explain what they are/do.
Example of no: “Cosmos Inc, the blockchain network explorer”
Here, the company name is using our trademark as part of their own name, implying that they are an official/endorsed service.
- Only use Interchain Trademarks as part of any project, product, service, domain name or company name with the express written permission of the Interchain Foundation. For such permission, please refer to your existing contact at the Interchain Foundation. If you do not have such contact, please contact legal@interchain.io. The Interchain Foundation will in general grant permission to use the Interchain Trademarks for projects that meet the following criteria:
- The primary purpose of the project is to promote the spread and improvement of the interchain ecosystem, Interchain Stack, or the Cosmos Network.
- The 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). Some exclusions apply for services like validators, wallets, and other services that are used by network participants and enrich the network. Please contact us directly to discuss.
- Do not use Interchain Trademarks if such use is likely to cause confusion in the marketplace as to the source or sponsorship of a service or product. With this trademark Policy, the Interchain Foundation does not permit or consent to any use of its trademarks in any manner that is likely to cause confusion by implying association with or sponsorship by the Interchain Foundation.
- Do not use Interchain Trademarks in connection with material that violates any law or regulation or in a manner that (in the Interchain Foundation's sole opinion) is misleading, infringing, unfair, defamatory, libelous, disparaging, obscene, or otherwise objectionable to the Interchain Foundation.
- Do not use Interchain Trademarks in any way that may have a disparaging effect or in any other way have a negative impact on the interchain ecosystem, Interchain Stack, or the Cosmos Network’s reputation.
- Immediately inform the Interchain Foundation at legal@interchain.io if you become aware of any infringing use of the Interchain Trademarks by any third party and assist Interchain Foundation in any enforcement action against any infringing use of the Interchain Trademarks.
- Do not register or attempt to register Interchain Trademarks or confusingly similar trademarks (wholly or in part, individually or in combination with other elements) in trademark or other official registers (e.g. as intellectual property right, firm name etc.).
- Do not use or register Interchain Trademarks or confusingly similar trademarks (wholly or in part, individually or in combination with other elements) as account names, profiles, aliases or the like on social media.
4. Specific Rules for the representation of Our Trademarks
- Do not use Interchain Trademarks in a way that suggests a common, descriptive, or generic meaning; in particular, do not use them as generic terms for service or product categories. Only use Interchain Trademarks as nouns, not as verbs or adjectives, as such use could result in a loss of distinctiveness of the Interchain Trademarks concerned.
- Do not use Interchain Trademarks in the plural or possessive form.
- Do not alter Interchain Trademarks; in particular, do not remove any element or create any new logo which could cause confusions or be seen related to the Interchain Trademarks.
- Distinguish Interchain Trademarks visually from your own trademarks, firm names, etc.
5. Trademark Notice
When using Interchain Trademarks, include the following international trademark notice, for each trademark you are using.
For example, if you are using the word “interchain”, state:
"INTERCHAIN is a trademark of the Interchain Foundation and is used by permission"
A Vision of Interoperability
An interoperable, inter-chain ecosystem.
Work on the Interchain.
Responsibly shaping a new technological paradigm.
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