Trademark Usage Guidelines

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The OpenROAD Initiative Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization supporting open-source technology projects and related activities for semiconductor design, including OpenROAD. Because we make our code available to download and modify, and because our code is used in semiconductor design where mistakes can be costly, the proper use of our trademarks is essential to inform users whether or not the OpenROAD Initiative stands behind a project or technology. When using our trademarks, you must comply with these OpenROAD Initiative Trademark Usage Guidelines.

When to use the OpenROAD Initiative trademarks

You may do any of the following without receiving specific permission from OpenROAD Initiative (or its affiliates):

Use OpenROAD Initiative wordmarks in text to truthfully refer to and/or link to OpenROAD Initiative projects, programs, services and technologies.
Use OpenROAD Initiative logos in visuals to truthfully refer to and/or to link to the applicable projects, programs, services and technologies hosted on GitHub.
Use OpenROAD Initiative wordmarks to explain that your software is based on OpenROAD Initiative’s open source code or is compatible with OpenROAD Initiative software, in accordance with the Open Source Project Guidelines below.
Describe a social media account, page, or community in accordance with the Social Media Guidelines below.

The above uses are considered “fair use” of a trademark. All other uses of an OpenROAD Initiative trademark require our prior written permission. This includes any use of an OpenROAD Initiative trademark in a domain name. Contact us at trademark@openroadinitiative.org for more information.

How to use the OpenROAD Initiative trademarks

Do:

Use the OpenROAD Initiative trademarks exactly as shown in the Trademarks List below.
Use OpenROAD Initiative wordmarks only as an adjective or noun, never as a verb. Do not use them in plural or possessive forms. Instead, use the generic term for the OpenROAD Initiative project or program following the trademark.
- For example: OpenROAD application, OpenROAD flow scripts, based on OpenROAD.
Include a trademark attribution notice that is clearly visible to provide attribution to OpenROAD Initiative.
- For example: “OpenROAD is a trademark of the OpenROAD Initiative in the US and other countries.”

Don’t:

Don’t use OpenROAD Initiative trademarks in the name of your business, product, service, app, domain name, publication, or other offering.
Don’t use marks, logos, company names, slogans, domain names, or designs that are confusingly similar to OpenROAD Initiative trademarks.
Don’t use OpenROAD Initiative trademarks in a way that incorrectly implies affiliation with, or sponsorship, endorsement, or approval by the OpenROAD Initiative (or its affiliates) of your products or services.
Don’t display OpenROAD Initiative trademarks more prominently than your product, service, or company name.
Don’t use OpenROAD Initiative trademarks on merchandise for sale (e.g., selling t-shirts, mugs, etc.)
Don’t use OpenROAD Initiative trademarks for any other form of commercial use (e.g. offering training or technical support services), unless such use is limited to a truthful and descriptive reference (e.g. “Independent training courses for chip design using OpenROAD” or “Independent technical support for the OpenROAD flow”).
Don’t modify OpenROAD Initiative’s trademarks, abbreviate them, or combine them with any other symbols, words, or images, or incorporate them into a tagline or slogan.

In addition to the trademark guidelines above, the name and handle of your social media account and any and all pages cannot begin with an OpenROAD Initiative trademark. In addition, OpenROAD Initiative logos cannot be used in a way that might suggest affiliation with the OpenROAD Initiative, including, but not limited to, the account, profile, or header images. The only exception to these requirements is if you’ve received prior written permission from the OpenROAD Initiative.

For example, you cannot name your account, page, or community “OpenROAD Experts” or “OpenROAD University.” However, it would be acceptable to name your account, page, or community “Fans of OpenROAD” or “Learn chip design with OpenROAD” as long as you do not use the OpenROAD Initiative logos or otherwise suggest any affiliation with the OpenROAD Initiative.

Open Source Project Guidelines

The specific license for each of the OpenROAD Initiative’s projects says what you can and cannot do with the code itself but does not give permission to use OpenROAD Initiative’s trademarks. If you choose to build on or modify OpenROAD Initiative’s open source code for your own project, you must:

Follow the terms of the Open Source License(s) for OpenROAD Initiative projects and code.
Choose branding, logos, and trademarks that denote your own unique identity so as to clearly signal to users that there is no affiliation with or endorsement by the OpenROAD Initiative.
Follow all other guidelines above.

You must NOT:

Use any OpenROAD Initiative trademark in connection with the user-facing name or branding of your project.
Use any OpenROAD Initiative trademark to incorrectly suggest or give the impression your software is actually published by, affiliated with, or endorsed by the OpenROAD Initiative.

You may:

State in words (not using logos or images) that your product “works with” or “is compatible” with certain OpenROAD Initiative projects, if that is true.
State in words (not using logos or images) that your project is based on OpenROAD Initiative’s open source technology, if that is true, as long as you also include a statement that your project is not officially associated with OpenROAD Initiative or its projects.
- For instance, you may state that your project “proudly incorporates portions of the OpenROAD open source EDA flow” or is “adapted from the OpenROAD open source application” as long as you also include the statement equally prominently: “[Brand Name] and [Product Name] are not officially associated with the OpenROAD Initiative or its projects.”

Cloud-based Service Guidelines

If you offer a cloud-based service that provides remote access to any software from an OpenROAD Initiative project, it is important that you do so in a way that does not confuse users about who is offering the service. You must not use OpenROAD Initiative trademarks in the name of your product or service.

You may state in words (not using logos or images) that your product or service features, provides access to, or otherwise incorporates portions of software from OpenROAD Initiative projects, if this is true. For example:

Acceptable: [Your Product Name] powered by the OpenROAD EDA flow
Not acceptable: OpenROAD [Your Product Name]

Trademarks List

The following is a list of trademarks that are owned by OpenROAD Initiative, Inc.:

Wordmarks:

OpenROAD Initiative
OpenROAD

Logo marks