# KDNA Brand & Trademark Guidelines

The KDNA name, the AIKDNA name, the KDNA logo, the Knowledge DNA mark, and related visual identity elements ("KDNA Marks") are trademarks of the KDNA project, maintained by the AIKDNA organization. These guidelines define how you may — and may not — use the KDNA Marks.

## Core Principle

**Code is open. Identity is not.** KDNA is an open standard with open-source implementations, but the KDNA Marks are protected to prevent confusion about what is — and is not — the official KDNA standard, project, or ecosystem.

---

## Permitted Use

You may use the KDNA Marks **without prior permission** in the following ways:

### Referring to KDNA

You may use the KDNA Marks to truthfully refer to the KDNA project, protocol, or ecosystem:

- "compatible with KDNA"
- "supports KDNA domains"
- "KDNA domain asset"
- "built for KDNA"
- "KDNA tool"
- "KDNA loader"

### Describing Compatibility

You may use the Marks to describe compatibility, provided the description is accurate and references the specific [COMPATIBILITY.md](./COMPATIBILITY.md) level:

- "This tool is KDNA-Core compatible (SPEC v1.0-rc)."
- "This domain asset follows the KDNA domain structure."

### Community Content

You may use the Marks in blog posts, tutorials, talks, research papers, and social media when discussing KDNA — as long as the use is descriptive, not misleading.

---

## Prohibited Use

You may **not** use the KDNA Marks in the following ways:

### 1. Implying Official Status

- ❌ Naming your project "KDNA Something" to imply it is an official KDNA project
- ❌ Using the KDNA logo as your project's primary identity or favicon
- ❌ Claiming "Official KDNA," "Certified KDNA," or "KDNA-Approved" without written authorization
- ❌ Creating a fork and presenting it as the canonical KDNA standard

### 2. Creating Confusion

- ❌ Naming your project to be easily confused with KDNA (e.g., "kDNA," "K-DNA," "KDNa")
- ❌ Using domain names that imply official KDNA affiliation (e.g., kdna-tools.com, kdna-studio.org) without permission
- ❌ Redirecting users from your project to imply it is the KDNA standard

### 3. Commercial Exploitation

- ❌ Using KDNA Marks on merchandise without permission
- ❌ Using KDNA Marks as part of a paid product's primary branding
- ❌ Implying KDNA endorsement of a commercial product or service

### 4. Domain Asset Naming

Domain assets that are compatible with KDNA should use clear naming:

- ✅ `@yourorg/writing-kdna` — clear attribution, KDNA reference
- ✅ `@aikdna/writing` — official domain
- ❌ `@yourorg/kdna-official-writing` — misleading
- ❌ `@yourorg/KDNA-Writing-Standard` — implies official status

---

## Forks and Derivative Projects

If you fork any KDNA repository and maintain a public version:

1. Your README must include the independence statement required by [FORK_POLICY.md](./FORK_POLICY.md)
2. Your project name must not include "KDNA" as its primary identity
3. You must not use KDNA Marks as your project's logo or header branding
4. You may state "based on KDNA" or "forked from KDNA" as a factual description

---

## Logo Usage

The KDNA logo may be used:

- In blog posts, articles, and presentations about KDNA
- In "Powered by KDNA" or "Compatible with KDNA" badges, provided the badge is clearly distinct from your own branding
- In ecosystem diagrams that show KDNA as one component among others

The KDNA logo may **not** be used:

- As your project's primary logo
- As a favicon for a non-official site
- In a way that suggests KDNA endorses your project

---

## Official Certification

Official KDNA certification and the right to use "Certified KDNA" or "Official KDNA" marks is granted through the registry governance process. See [GOVERNANCE.md](./docs/GOVERNANCE.md) and [registry-policy.md](./docs/registry-policy.md).

---

## Enforcement

We take trademark misuse seriously because it directly threatens the coherence of the KDNA standard. If you see misuse of KDNA Marks:

- Open an issue on the main repository with the `trademark` label
- Or email **security@aikdna.com**

We will review and respond. Our first step is always education and guidance. Legal action is a last resort, reserved for persistent bad-faith misuse that causes genuine ecosystem harm.

---

## Rationale

KDNA is built to become shared infrastructure for AI agent domain judgment. For shared infrastructure to remain coherent, the standard's identity must be protected from fragmentation and confusion. Open code does not mean open identity. These guidelines exist so that the ecosystem can grow around a clear, trusted, and consistent standard.

---

## Questions

For questions about use of KDNA Marks, trademark permissions, partnership branding, or official certification: **security@aikdna.com**
