Use of any SpringSource trademark must be in accordance with this policy. SpringSource's trademark policy attempts to balance two competing interests: SpringSource's need to ensure that its trademarks remain reliable indicators of the source and quality of SpringSource’s products and services and SpringSource's desire to permit community members, software distributors and others that SpringSource works with to discuss SpringSource's products and services and to accurately describe their affiliation with SpringSource.
Underlying SpringSource's trademark policy is the general law of trademarks. Trademarks exist to help consumers identify, and organizations publicize, the source of products and services. Some organizations make better products than others; over time, consumers begin to associate those organizations (and their trademarks) with quality. When such organizations permit others to place their trademarks on goods of lesser quality, they find that customer trust evaporates quickly. This is the situation that SpringSource seeks to avoid, especially since, when it comes to intangible products like software, trust is all consumers have to decide on.
Although SpringSource's trademark policy is composed of a number of specific rules, most reflect the overarching requirement that your use of SpringSource's trademarks be non-confusing and non-disparaging. By non-confusing, SpringSource means that people should always know who they are dealing with, and where the software they are downloading came from. Websites and software that are not produced by SpringSource should not imply, either directly or by omission, that they are. By non-disparaging, we mean that, outside the bounds of fair use, you can't use our trademarks as vehicles for defaming us or sullying our reputation. These basic requirements can serve as a guide as you work your way through the policy.
Ownership
The SpringSource trademarks will remain the sole property of SpringSource. All use and goodwill associated with the SpringSource trademarks will inure to the benefit of SpringSource.
Standards for Use
All uses of SpringSource trademarks must conform to the following:
- Prior to any use of any SpringSource trademarks, you must submit the proposed use for SpringSource’s prior written approval. SpringSource may, in its sole discretion, approve or reject such use, and SpringSource will notify you promptly of the approval or rejection.
- You may use the SpringSource trademarks only to identify and distinguish SpringSource products and services. The SpringSource trademarks may not be applied to products or services provided by anyone other than SpringSource, except as authorized in writing by SpringSource.
- You may not combine any SpringSource trademark with another word or hyphenate any SpringSource trademark.
- You may not abbreviate any SpringSource trademark by leaving out one or more word portions of the trademark.
- You may use the SpringSource trademarks only as adjectives and never as nouns or verbs. You may not use any SpringSource trademark in possessive form.
- SpringSource trademarks may only be used with the correct form of notice of registration. The correct notice to be used in association with trademarks depends on whether or not the mark is registered in the applicable jurisdiction. If it is not registered, the notice or the word “trademark” or the symbol “TM” or “SM” should be used in association with the trademark. If it is registered in the applicable jurisdiction, the ® should be used. These notices should be placed adjacent to the trademark and be given on all advertising materials, and on product labeling, computer screens, and other uses. Where a trademark is used more than once in a single display, the notice should be placed at the first or most prominent use of the trademark.
- The following notice should appear in the document in which the SpringSource trademark is used: "[TRADEMARK] is a trademark of SpringSource, Inc.";
- When you use an SpringSource trademark in a non-stylized form, such as in the body of text of an advertisement, it must be set apart and distinguished from the other words in the text. In order to do this, the trademark should be rendered in boldface type, italics, all capital letters, set in quotation marks or underlined.
- Each representation of an SpringSource trademark should be consistent, undistorted, and clear. The logo may not be used in a size so small that any design feature of the mark is lost. In general, this will mean that the logo must appear by itself, in a reasonable size, with reasonable spacing (at least the height of the logo) between each side of the logo and other graphic or textual element. The logo must appear in exactly the same spatial relationship as set forth in any graphic standards information provided by SpringSource.
- You may not use any SpringSource trademark in any advertising or material in violation of any applicable law, ordinance or regulation of any country.
- You may not use any SpringSource trademark in a misleading way.
- You may not use any SpringSource trademark on or in connection with any defamatory, scandalous, pornographic or other objectionable materials of any sort.
- You may not use any SpringSource trademark to disparage SpringSource or its products or services, or in a manner which, in SpringSource’s reasonable judgment, may diminish or otherwise damage SpringSource’s goodwill in any SpringSource trademark.
- You may not take any action that would in any way tarnish or dilute the value of the SpringSource trademarks.
- You may not adopt, use or attempt to register with any agency in any jurisdiction the trademark “SpringSource” or any trademark, trade name, service mark, logo or domain name consisting of, in whole or in part, the word “SpringSource” or any marks confusingly similar to any SpringSource trademark.
- If you become aware of any infringement, actual or suspected, or any other unauthorized use of any SpringSource trademark, you will promptly give notice to SpringSource in writing, specifying the particulars of the unauthorized use.
- If, at any time, SpringSource objects to your improper use of any SpringSource trademark, you agree to take such steps as may be necessary to resolve SpringSource’s objections.
Services Related to SpringSource Products
If you offer services related to SpringSource software, you may use SpringSource's trademarks in describing and advertising your services, so long as you don't violate these overall guidelines for the use of SpringSource's trademarks or do anything that might mislead customers into thinking that SpringSource has any direct relationship with your organization, without SpringSource’s prior written consent. For example, it is OK if your website says, "Services for the SpringSource products." It's not OK, though, if it says, "SpringSource training services sold here," since the first suggests that SpringSource is related to your business, and the second is confusing as to who, you or SpringSource, is performing the training. When in doubt, err on the side of providing more, rather than less, explanation and information.
Domain Names
If you want to include all or part of a SpringSource trademark in a domain name, you must first receive written permission from SpringSource. People naturally associate domain names with organizations whose names sound similar. Almost any use of a SpringSource trademark in a domain name is likely to confuse consumers, thus running afoul of the overarching requirement that any use of a SpringSource trademark be non-confusing.
Questions
SpringSource has tried to make its trademark policy as comprehensive as possible. If you're considering a use of an SpringSource trademark that's not covered by the policy, and you're unsure whether that use would run afoul of SpringSource's guidelines, please contact SpringSource at legal@SpringSource.com.
