[fab] Fedora Logo Proposal

Mon Aug 7 22:25:18 UTC 2006

OK, we've danced around this for a while.  Lots of good suggestions, but 
no one has really taken ownership of this -- largely because it's kind of 
hard to do, especially if you're not @redhat.com.

So I sat down with Max today and we worked through some of the issues.  We 
came up with a proposal to settle these issues once and for all.  The goal 
is to have an actionable plan, that everyone agrees with, that we can 
implement quickly.

If everyone agrees, I'll take it to counsel asap and we'll work out 
details.

* * *

The Basic Issues:

There are two sets of issues.  One set revolves around TRADEMARK 
PROTECTION.  The other set revolves around POLICY OF USE.  The two are 
related, but they are not the same.

First of all, TRADEMARK PROTECTION.  Because the Fedora logo is a 
registered trademark, this means that we must protect it -- specifically, 
that we must "police" it.  What do we mean when we say "police" it?  
Simply, it means that we have guidelines for its use, and we're actually 
pursuing people who use the logo without adhering to the guidelines.

Now, it's my understanding that these guidelines can be as liberal as we 
choose to make them, so long as (a) the guidelines are enforceable, and 
(b) we actually make the effort to enforce them.  These guidelines are our 
POLICY OF USE.

We've been arguing about this problem for months because it's a hard 
problem; our POLICY goal is to make the logo as ubiquitous as possible, 
but our LEGAL goal is to make the logo as easily policed as possible.  
These goals are to some degree contradictory.

The key, we believe, is to make it as simple as possible to navigate 
through the guidelines -- even if the guidelines themselves are not 
simple.

* * *

Deliverable #0: Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).

It all starts here.  We need to nail down *exactly* what usages of the 
logo are allowed, and exactly what usages are not allowed.  This may take 
further debate, but here's a start:

LOGO USE AND SOFTWARE REDISTRIUBTION.  The logo may be used by:
  * Anyone who redistributes Fedora Core as-is.  No permission required.
  * Anyone who redistributes any functionally complete subset of packages 
from the Fedora Universe -- also known as an "official Fedora derivative".  
No permission required.
  * People who are redistributing something based on Fedora, but who are 
NOT following the above redistribution guidelines, may NOT use the Fedora 
logo.  If they choose to use the text "based on Fedora," we won't stop 
them.

LOGO USE FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES.  The logo may be used by:
  * WEBSITE USE.  Anyone who is using Fedora or its official Fedora 
derivatives may advertise this fact using the Fedora logo.
  * SCHWAG.  Only members of the Fedora Ambassadors project may put the 
Fedora logo on physical promotional items.

MISCELLANEOUS USES.  If a user wishes to use the logo for a reason not 
enumerated, users may appeal directly to "logo at fedoraproject.org" for 
special dispensation to use the Fedora logo.

* * *

Deliverable #1: Fedora Logo Wizard. 

We'll develop our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) based on simple questions 
and a decision tree.  Something like this:                                                                                  
(clippy) I see you'd like to use the Fedora logo!  Would you like some 
help?

Are you redistributing Fedora?
(yes) Have you modified any of the ISO images in any way?   (no)  
Approved!  (Logo_usage_ok_distribution)
  (yes) Did you make unacceptable change #1?     (yes) Sorry, you can not 
use the Fedora logo, but... (Based_on_Fedora)
    (no)  Did you make unacceptable change #2?
      (yes) Sorry, you can not use the Fedora logo, but... 
(Based_on_Fedora)
      (no)  Did you make unacceptable change #n?
        (yes) Sorry...
        (no)  Approved!  (Logo_usage_ok_modification)
(no)  Are you promoting Fedora?
  (yes) Are you using the Fedora logo to sell goods?

...and so on and so forth.  Basically, we should be able to ask a set of 
questions that lead the requestors to *precise* policy decisions.  We 
should then collect their information in a simple database (read: flat 
text file).  Whenever we see a questionable use, we refer to the 
"database" and act accordingly.

* * *

Deliverable #2: A "click through" for access to Fedora logo files.

See, the problem here is that having a click-through for Fedora logos is
basically useless.  The simple fact is, people can go get Fedora logos
from dozens of websites, or from the desktop itself, and they can make
something that looks, for all the world, like an official Fedora logo.  
Therefore, it makes no sense to have a click-through to gain access to the
"official logos" themselves.

Better, we think, is to have one prominent page where all of the logo 
files live.  At the very front of that page, we'd place a great big 
notice, impossible to miss:

"Want to use these logos?  Be sure to agree to THE SIMPLE TERMS (link).  
If you don't and we find out about it, we will ask you to stop using the 
logos.  Why? Read more about TRADEMARK PROTECTION (link)."

And then pages and pages of spiffy Fedora logos and official variants.

* * *

Deliverable #3: A Fedora Logo Project.

This is beginning to look like a must-have.  Everybody wants to play 
around with the logo for various reasons, all of them perfectly good 
reasons.  They want a "powered by Fedora" button for their web server.  Or 
they want a Fedora theme that incorporates their LUG logo as well.

When we find a modified Fedora logo, here are our choices:  1. ignore it, 
in which case we're not policing the mark; 2. prohibit it, in which case 
we look like fascists; or 3. adopt it or explain in a friendly way why 
it's not appropriate.  Option 3 is by far the best, but it requires a body 
that can serve effectively as arbiters, and is empowered to do so.

My guess: this would be a subproject of the Fedora Art project.

* * *

Anyway, that's the proposal.  If you have an objection, please be as 
specific as you can possibly be.  We want to take action on this soon.

--g

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Greg DeKoenigsberg || Fedora Project || fedoraproject.org
Be an Ambassador || http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Ambassadors
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