Recenty we run ad campaign on Google Ads and find out that we could not use “magento” word in ad headline or description due to the trademark violation. Another time we tried to push extension to magento marketplace and also got rejected due to “inappropriate uses of Magento trademark”. I’ve also seen a lot of questions magento forums and stackoverflow regarding magento license and trademark use. Lets shed some light on the matter.
License / Trademark / Copyright
License is a document that provides legally binding guidelines for the use and distribution of software.
- basically it determines under which circumstances a person can use software
- Magento Open Source use Open Source License (OSL) v3 – http://opensource.org/licenses/osl-3.0.php
- Magento Enterprise use Enterprise Edition Agreement – http://magento.com/legal/terms/enterprise
Trademark is a unique symbol or word(s) used to represent a business or its products. Once registered, that same symbol or series of words cannot be used by any other organization, forever, as long as it remains in use and proper paperwork and fees are paid
- you can trademark logo or company name
- it prevent a competitor from applying a similar name to a similar type of product
Copyright is a legal right, existing in many countries, that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights to determine whether, and under what conditions, this original work may be used by others
- Copyright should lie with person that created code
- should normally never change
Magento License
What can I do with Magento Open Source?
You may download, modify, use, and distribute the open source Software
What license do I need for my magento extension?
You can use OSL or BSD or custom agreement. There are no restrictions
Magento Trademark
Can I use “Magento” in extension name?
No. You may not use or register Magento or any other Magento trademark or service mark, including graphic symbols, logos, icons, or obvious alterations thereof, as all or part of your company name, trade name, product name, or service name.
Can I use “Magento” in my domain name?
It is not allowed to use “Magento” in second level domain name. I.e. magentoextensions.com or ilovemagento.com are not acceptable. However, you can use it in subdomains. Like magento.company.com
Can I use “Magento” in my website?
Yes, you can use it anythere on site and promote your magento-related software / services
Can I call my pet “Magento”?
Yes, sure you can do it!
Useful Links
You can also check Magento License FAQ – https://magento.com/legal/licensing
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