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This document answers some of Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the ASF's trademarks and their allowable uses. Be sure to review our formal Trademark Policy document, which outlines important requirements for any uses of Apache project marks.

The following information helps ensure our marks and logos are used in approved ways, while making it easy for the community to understand the guidelines. If you have any questions about the use of logos or trademarks, see our trademark resources or contact us.

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Are Apache® project names and logos trademarks?

Yes, the names of all Apache® projects, software products, and their logos are trademarks that the Apache Software Foundation owns on behalf of our project communities. Note that while some Apache project names and logos are registered in the US and various countries, even unregistered names and logos are still trademarks of the ASF and should be treated with respect.

How should I refer to Apache software product names?

Apache project names have the form "Apache Projectname", for example Apache Hadoop® and Apache OpenOffice®. Read our detailed guide for referring to Apache project and product names. Using the full "Apache Projectname" helps ensure that our volunteer project communities get the credit they deserve.

How should I provide attributions of Apache marks?

To properly attribute Apache marks, and to ensure that the volunteer communities that build Apache software get the credit they deserve, place prominent trademark attributions wherever you use Apache marks. On websites, add hyperlinks to the relevant project homepage and to the ASF. For example, to provide an attribution for Apache Hadoop and its yellow elephant logo (using basic HTML with hyperlinks):

Apache®, Apache Hadoop, Hadoop®, and the yellow elephant logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation in the United States and/or other countries.

In text, use Apache Lucene® in the first and most prominent uses because it is a registered trademark; some other Apache project names like Apache Zookeeper™ are unregistered but are still considered trademarks of the ASF.

Here is a complete list of trademarks claimed by the ASF.

May I use Apache marks in the title or cover of published books?

In general, yes, as long as you comply with the rest of Apache trademark policies, in particular in regard to not claiming association or endorsement of/for/by the ASF. For more details or for explicit permissions, contact us.

Apache®, Apache Tomcat, Tomcat®, and the cat logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation in the United States and/or other countries. No endorsement by The Apache Software Foundation is implied by the use of these marks.

May I display Apache product logos on my website or marketing materials for ASF software products that my organization's software integrates with or supports?

Yes, as long as you follow the rest of our formal Trademark Policy. Note that you may not use Apache product word marks as part of any software product name. In particular, you must ensure that you follow our Apache name usage guide and:

See also the Powered By Apache logo program.

May I use Apache marks (names, logos) in software product names?

No, you may not use Apache trademarks - the names of any project or software product releases from the ASF - in the primary or secondary branding of any third party product or service names. For example, you may not name a product either "BigCo Project Thing", "BigCo distribution of Project", or any similar kind of name where Project is any Apache mark or project name.

The primary mission of the ASF is to provide free software for the public good under our Apache License. Consumer confusion over the source of Apache software products is a serious issue for the ASF. Both for consumers trying to find Apache products, and for the communities and PMCs that build our products, the name and logo association of Apache marks with our actual project communities and products is important to us.

We understand the importance in our ecosystem of third parties building software products on or in conjunction with Apache products. If you build such software products, see the next question about our "Powered by..." program.

May I distibute modified versions of Apache Software under the original name?

Generally, no. If you distribute modified versions of Apache Software you must do so under a new name. There are limited circumstance where this is permitted which are set out in the Apache Downstream Distribution Policy.

May I use Apache Powered by... marks or logos in software product names or logos?

Yes, under certain circumstances, you may use the Powered by... phrase or a project-specific Powered by... logo in direct conjunction with your software product or service's primary branding. This applies for all Apache project names and the Powered By... variation (inside a circle with Powered By Apache around the outside) of their logos.

Various Apache projects include a "Powered by..."-specific logo for their product(s). If the product you are interested in doesn't provide a Powered by... logo, ask the relevant PMC to consider creating one.

NOTE: Use of an Apache product's normal logo (i.e. the non Powered-by) is not permissible to directly denote products or services, even those built atop an Apache product. You must not visually combine or directly associate Apache products' normal logos with third-party product logos.

See also the Powered By Apache logo page for details about logo usage.

May I use the Apache feather logo on the cover/title of published books, articles, or other publications?

No. The Apache feather logo (old horizontal version, or new vertical version) is a special trademark to the members of the Apache Software Foundation. You may not use the feather logo on the external covers or title pages of books or similar printed materials.

May I use Apache product logos on the cover/title of published books, articles, or other publications?

Use of Apache project logos on the external cover or title pages of books or similar printed materials is allowed only with permission; to request this, contact us with a mockup of the cover and other details about your publication.

We understand the importance in our ecosystem of authors publishing informational books about Apache products, and the value that can bring in terms of new contributors to our communities. However, you must take care to use Apache product logos in descriptive ways, without implying any association or endorsement, and without implying that your book is an official or sole source of information about any Apache product.

May I use Apache marks, screenshots, or program output within published books, articles, or other publications?

In general, yes, as long as you comply with the rest of the Apache trademark policies, in particular in regard to not claiming association or endorsement of/for/by the ASF. For more details or for explicit permissions when legally required, contact us.

Apache®, Apache Ignite, Ignite, and the flame logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation in the United States and/or other countries. No endorsement by The Apache Software Foundation is implied by the use of these marks.

May I use Apache marks, screenshots, or program output in academic papers, articles, or similar non-profit scholarly publications?

Yes, as long as you comply with the rest of Apache trademark policies, in particular in regard to not claiming association or endorsement of/for/by the ASF. For more details or for explicit permissions when legally required, contact us.

As long as uses of Apache trademarks or logos are clear in referring to the software products produced by the ASF, the ASF position is that this FAQ should constitute sufficient permissions for non-profit academic and scholarly papers and publications to use our trademarks in all respectful ways. We appreciate the researchers and students who want to use Apache software products to further human knowledge.

Should we donate project trademarks along with the code when we submit to the Apache Incubator?

That depends on your goals. Many groups donate existing projects to the Apache Incubator, to become podlings and, we hope eventually become official Apache top level projects (TLPs). When you have an existing project that has a well-known brand and associated trademarks or registrations, the donor needs to decide if they also wish to donate all trademarks with the project, or if they will keep the trademarks, and have the new podling choose a new name and brand. For a podling to graduate and become a TLP, the ASF must own all trademark rights to the podling's brand.

How do we transfer trademark rights when submitting a project to the Apache Incubator

One of the graduation criteria for podlings to TLP status is that the ASF own all trademark rights and goodwill to the podling's brand. Since the incubation process takes a number of months, the recommended way to transfer trademarks and any pre-existing registrations is:


Other trademark guidelines

See our formal Trademark Policy and our site map of all Trademark resources.

Important Note

Nothing in this ASF policy statement shall be interpreted to allow any third party to claim any association with the Apache Software Foundation or any of its projects, or to imply any approval or support by ASF for any third party products, services, or events.