Ric van Westhreenen
To make sure that we have enough rights to do so, we also register our trademark worldwide. Last year we registered our trademark in India and in Ukraine to grow our reach worldwide.
Why Trademarking is Important
Prevent Competitors From Fostering Fear and Doubt
No one wants to see the website of a competing agency called TYPO3-stinks.(tld)! Or even a less but still harmful domain. If that were a site with information about why TYPO3 is a lesser choice compared to its competitors, it would probably rank highly in search engines. Your customer would probably see that site. And you would have a more complex story to sell.
Avoid Confusion
Someone could start selling shoes or a soft drink called TYPO3. If such a product became popular, it may be that consumers think first of that product instead of our TYPO3 CMS. You would need to explain that you are selling a software solution with the same name as a soft drink. Again, it will be a complicated story to tell. (This example is based on one of our real-life cases.)
Honour Our Open Values
Perhaps most importantly, we want everyone to have equal possibilities and opportunities. Being part of our open source community means you can share in its value. We think that sharing is critical, and open source means we can create a level ground so that our members can benefit from our trademark without having to be clever enough or early enough to register domains or snap up the rights to something.
How does it work?
Our way of working is straightforward and is based on our Trademark Usage Policy. Usage of our trademark always follows this policy.
Not everyone is entitled to use the TYPO3 trademark, and you cannot use it for your own gain.
Who can use the TYPO3 trademark?
Any TYPO3 Association member can use the trademark, but you must follow the Permissions for Use guidelines.
If you are not sure of your eligibility to use the trademark, contact us through the form on the trademark policies page to Register as a Trademark User.
In any case of doubt or ambiguity, the TYPO3 Association Board has final say on usage of our trademark.
