3 ms·

IANAL, but I see two different things going on: 1) if you want to use their logo for the purpose of marketing to eventually/indirectly bring income to your pro

by lhorie 8y ago

IANAL, but I see two different things going on: 1) if you want to use their logo for the purpose of marketing to eventually/indirectly bring income to your project, that seems like a trademark no-no. With that said, just as I could get away with tweeting "Starbucks messed up my order" and not be sued, you could probably write "This project is used by X, Y and Z", since you're just stating a fact. In any case, I don't see any good reason to sue, because a) they have to spend money mounting a convincing case b) they risk you simply not paying or not getting enough to even cover legal fees. Not to mention they would also risk you relicensing and forbidding them to use your project altogether. So suing seems like a lose-lose proposition. (but, again, IANAL, so take this w/ a grain of salt) 2) if you want this company to pay for your work, then you could ask for their sponsorship, or you could just not prioritize their requests. You have no obligation to cater to them.

chungleong 8y ago
I think putting "This project is used by X, Y and Z" on your website would still constitute trademark infringement. That it's a factual statement is irrelevant. The purpose of trademark laws is to prevent confusion in the marketplace. The pertinent question here is whether the statement creates a false impression that X, Y, and Z are endorsing your product. The answer is a clear yes. If you write an blog post complaining how X, Y, and Z are using your product but won't let you use their logos, then you'd be in the clear. That's covered by fair use. Identification of the companies in question is absolutely essential to the message you're trying to convey.
- lhorie 8y ago
  > endorsing your product Hmm, I suppose one could read it that way. I guess alternatively you could write "This project is used by major companies in X, Y, Z industries" so you're not naming specific companies.

by lhorie 8y ago

chungleong 8y ago

I think putting "This project is used by X, Y and Z" on your website would still constitute trademark infringement. That it's a factual statement is irrelevant. The purpose of trademark laws is to prevent confusion in the marketplace. The pertinent question here is whether the statement creates a false impression that X, Y, and Z are endorsing your product. The answer is a clear yes. If you write an blog post complaining how X, Y, and Z are using your product but won't let you use their logos, then you'd be in the clear. That's covered by fair use. Identification of the companies in question is absolutely essential to the message you're trying to convey.

lhorie 8y ago
> endorsing your product Hmm, I suppose one could read it that way. I guess alternatively you could write "This project is used by major companies in X, Y, Z industries" so you're not naming specific companies.