Re: [DISCUSS] Update project maturity model to include trademark and branding?

Great work tison, and thanks for keeping this important task moving.

tison wrote on 11/26/24 9:07 PM:
> Hi,
> 
> Here is a continued effort of the thread "Update project maturity
> model to include trademark and branding?"[1] early this year.
> 
> [1] https://lists.apache.org/thread/oc9jft1tyo7cbphcyrtwobf4w5rcbhfw
> 
> Brief background: During the graduation of podlings in incubation, we
> actively evaluate their treatment for trademark and branding. However,
> this is not reflected in our maturity model and can result in the
> friction of tribal knowledge.
> 
> So, here is my proposed content updated for the project maturity model:
> 
> Content BEGIN
> 
> Notable items from the Trademark Policy [1], FAQ [2], and Guide [3].

It feels like we should add a pointer to the responsibility doc:

   https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/responsibility

And if needed, update that document to clearly point to the FAQ and 
product name guide policies.  The "PMC Branding Responsibilities" tries 
to be a whole picture of all the responsibilities that a PMC (or PPMC 
nearing graduation) should have, so that feels like an important place 
to start linking people to.   Does that make sense?  If there's 
something obvious missing in the Responsibility document, we should ask 
trademarks@ if they'll update it.

> The project should comply with ASF's branding and trademark policy in
> all places it controls.
> 
> [1] https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/
> [2] https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/faq/
> [3] https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/guide
> 
> TB10 The project correctly uses "Apache Foo" as the project name where required.
...snip...

TB10 The project uses "Apache Foo™" as the project and software product 
name consistently, with appropriate trademark attributions. [a]

I would add footnotes to some of these, like the existing maturity model 
does, for extra reference: [a] https://apache.org/foundation/marks/pmcs

I would also reorder the items, to start with beginning/inward facing 
topics, then outward facing topics, so instead something like:


TB20 The project's primary homepage is at projectname.apache.org.  When 
exceptions exist to use alternate domains for any purpose, any 
non-apache.org domain names are owned by the ASF.


TB30 The ASF has trademark rights, including any registrations, to the 
project name, logo, and any other major branding elements.

(For example, any transfers of existing trademark registrations during 
Incubation must completed before graduation)


TB40 The project monitors for any major misuses of their project's brand 
by others, and reports any potential misuses to Brand Management. [b]

[b] https://apache.org/foundation/marks/reporting.html#pmcs

Note that TB40 is a balancing act: we hope that PMCs are spending some 
time responding to any obvious or blatant misuses of their brand.  But 
PMCs sometimes can't handle all the details of actually stopping a 
potential infringement; what we really need is for PMCs to actively 
report them, and then promptly respond if Brand Managment (or other 
officers) ask for information when addressing a misuse.


> Content END
...snip...

Thanks!  This is really important to get into the model, as well as into 
various Incubator mentor guidelines and materials.  The more we can get 
PPMCs thinking about their project's trademarks as something important 
now, the better it will be for our graduated TLPs.

-- 
- Shane
   Member
   The Apache Software Foundation

P.S. ha! Should we use "TM" for the numbering instead? 8-)