[fab] Fedora Logo Proposal: moving forward
David Barzilay
barzilay at redhat.com
Tue Aug 8 18:56:36 UTC 2006
Great! Good luck!
Greg DeKoenigsberg wrote:
> OK, so we've had a day or so to look over the proposal, and it seems like
> no one is pulling hair or gnashing teeth over it. Therefore, I'm moving
> on to the next step:
>
> Taking it to counsel. (Dum-dum-DUUUUUM!)
>
> I'll be working with counsel to nail down a version of the Acceptable Use
> Policy that they can accept. I'll keep everyone informed as I move
> forward.
>
> --g
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> Greg DeKoenigsberg || Fedora Project || fedoraproject.org
> Be an Ambassador || http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Ambassadors
> -------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Mon, 7 Aug 2006, Greg DeKoenigsberg wrote:
>
>
>> 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
>>
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------
>> Greg DeKoenigsberg || Fedora Project || fedoraproject.org
>> Be an Ambassador || http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Ambassadors
>> -------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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