# Statewave Trademark Policy

The name **"Statewave"**, the Statewave logo, and related branding (the
"Statewave Marks") are project and company marks. The open-source license
that covers the source code of Statewave (Apache-2.0) does **not** grant
any rights to use the Statewave Marks. This policy describes the limited
use we permit without a separate written agreement.

We use trademark policy not to restrict the open-source community, but to
keep "Statewave" a meaningful, trustworthy signal — so that when users see
the name attached to a hosted service or product, they know what they are
getting.

## What you may do (no permission required)

- Say truthfully that your software, service, or content is **"built with
  Statewave"**, **"powered by Statewave"**, **"compatible with Statewave"**,
  or **"based on Statewave"** — provided this accurately describes your
  use, and you do not imply official endorsement, partnership, or hosting.
- Use the name "Statewave" in **factual references**: documentation, blog
  posts, talks, comparisons, tutorials, academic papers, and similar
  educational or journalistic content.
- Distribute **unmodified** copies of Statewave under Apache-2.0 with the
  original branding intact.
- Use the unmodified Statewave logo in screenshots, slides, or comparison
  charts that accurately depict the project.

## What you may not do (without written permission)

- Call your service **"Statewave Cloud"**, **"Official Statewave"**,
  **"Statewave Hosted"**, **"Statewave Enterprise"**, or any similar name
  that implies an official relationship with the Statewave project or
  company.
- Use the Statewave name or logo as a **primary brand** for your own
  product, company, or service.
- Use the Statewave Marks in a way that **implies endorsement,
  certification, partnership, sponsorship, or affiliation** when none
  exists.
- Register domain names, social-media handles, package names, or
  trademarks that incorporate "Statewave" in a way that is likely to cause
  confusion about origin or endorsement.
- Use modified versions of the Statewave logo, or alter the logo's
  proportions, colors, or composition.
- Sell merchandise (apparel, stickers, etc.) bearing the Statewave Marks
  without permission.

## Branded hosting and managed services

Trademark protection is independent of the Apache-2.0 license. Two
situations come up most often:

- You may operate Statewave for your own users (internal use, embedded in
  your product, or as part of any Apache-2.0-compliant deployment) without
  written permission, provided you do not brand the service with the
  Statewave Marks.
- If you wish to **offer Statewave as a hosted, managed, or SaaS service to
  third parties under the Statewave brand**, you need a written trademark
  agreement from us. Apache-2.0 grants copyright and patent rights to the
  software; it does not grant trademark rights — copyright and trademark
  are separate.
- "Built with Statewave" or "powered by Statewave" labels on a hosted
  service are acceptable; "Statewave Cloud", "Hosted Statewave", or any
  variant that suggests we run or endorse the service is not.

## Modifications and forks

If you fork Statewave and modify it materially, please **rename the fork**
so that users are not confused about whose code they are running. You may
still describe the fork as "based on Statewave" or "a fork of Statewave"
in documentation. The name of your fork should not begin with "Statewave"
or be confusable with it.

## How to request permission

Brand, hosting-with-the-name, partnership, or other use cases not covered
above:

- **Email:** [licensing@statewave.ai](mailto:licensing@statewave.ai)

Please describe the intended use, the audience, the channel (website, app,
event, merchandise, etc.), and any mockups.

## Updates to this policy

This policy may be updated as the project grows. The version in `main` is
authoritative. Material changes will be announced in release notes.

## Disclaimer

This document describes the Statewave project's trademark policy; it is
not legal advice. If you are unsure whether your intended use is covered,
contact us before proceeding.
