Powered by OpenDaylight Trademark Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ attempts to provide answers to commonly asked questions related to the Powered by ODL trademark.  It is provided for informational purposes only.  It is not part of, nor does it modify, amend, or supplement the terms of the trademark.  The Trademark License is a legal agreement that governs the rights granted to material licensed under it, so please read it carefully.  If there is any conflict between this FAQ and the trademark, the terms of the trademark shall govern.  This FAQ should not be regarded as legal advice.  If you need legal advice, you must contact your own lawyer.

FAQ:

Purpose of the “Powered by OpenDaylight” trademark. The trademark extends an OpenDaylight Project “seal of approval” to commercial offerings built on the OpenDaylight platform. It helps protect the OpenDaylight brand by maintaining certain technical standards and by setting expectations for user experience across OpenDaylight-based products. It is intended to support marketing and sales activities of current products.

How does “Powered by OpenDaylight” differ from the “OpenDaylight” trademark? “OpenDaylight” refers to the Project, its activities, and the code it produces. “Powered by OpenDaylight” is intended for marketing and sales use by commercial entities making use of key portions of the Project’s output, in order to quickly convey quality and assurance of a leading SDN platform.

Definitions of key terms.

1. “Recent versions”. It is expected that products bearing the Powered by OpenDaylight trademark will be based on the current release or previous two releases, and that all components used will be from the same release. This gives users an indication of the capabilities and robustness of the platform on which the commercial product is built.
   1. Vendors may at times contract with their customers to provide the same solution without alteration over a period of several years. It would be appropriate to note that the solution is based on “the <XX> release of OpenDaylight”, but if the solution may not migrate to new releases as they become available, the solution will effectively become a private offering, and no longer eligible for the Powered by trademark. However, publicly available versions of the same solution which do migrate as appropriate to an approved release version would continue to be eligible for the mark.
2. “Core software”. The OpenDaylight Project encompasses a number of projects which have different types of dependencies between them. Some projects are integral to the functioning of the controller, while others are essentially applications that provide useful tooling or additional functionality, but on which the controller has no dependencies. “Core software” refers to the set of projects and code that are essential to delivering a functional controller, as defined by the “Powered by OpenDaylight” trademark.
3. “Entirety”. All code included in the required projects, as well as their dependencies, within the selected release. Minor modifications to the required projects, such as security fixes, which improve but do not materially change the architecture or intended functions of these components, are acceptable.

How to use the “Powered by” Trademark. The Trademark, once approved for use, may be thought of as an integral part of the branding and marketing of a current commercial ODL-based product. The “Powered by” logo may be used on relevant product pages of corporate websites, as well as promotional materials for events focused on the ODL-based product. The logo and tagline may be included in product collateral of all formats. The logo and phrase must be used without modification, and must be used specifically in conjunction with the relevant product.

Examples of inappropriate use:

• “Company XYZ, powered by OpenDaylight…”
  
  • A company may not be “powered by OpenDaylight”, only a product which has been approved as meeting the requirements of the trademark.
  • “Company XYZ provides Product ABC, powered by OpenDaylight” is acceptable.
  • “Powered by” logo is used on the corporate homepage or physical signage next to the corporate logo is not.
  • “Powered by” logo used next to a product logo or image is acceptable.
• “Join our webinar, powered by OpenDaylight…”
  • Events such as webinars are not themselves powered by OpenDaylight.
  • “Join our webinar to learn about Product ABC, powered by OpenDaylight” is acceptable.
• Continued use of the mark on an existing pre-packaged solution, which does not migrate to a required release base within the required timeframe.
  

Who can apply. Any individual or organization providing an OpenDaylight-based product or service for sale (including OEM arrangements) may apply for the trademark for their product. Organizations may be non-profit or for-profit entities, and need not be OpenDaylight member companies.

Examples of products or services that are eligible for the “Powered by OpenDaylight” mark:

• A commercial SDN controller making use of the required OpenDaylight modules, packaged with proprietary enhancements or applications.
• A use case- or customer-specific packaged solution which includes OpenDaylight and other proprietary and open source components, such as orchestration engines or custom applications.
• *aaS offerings which make use of OpenDaylight.

Provision for exceptions.

1. Time-based exceptions. The Project will automatically extend a grace period of three months after each new OpenDaylight release for downstream products based on older versions to be migrated to a release satisfying the requirements of the “Powered by” Trademark.
2. Technical exceptions. If a commercial entity has valid technical reasons for not complying with either release or specific code requirements, either in an existing or new product, the company must request an exception from the ODL TSC Chair, who will review the request with the TSC, and provide recommendations to the Marketing lead and Executive Director. The Executive Director, considering the long-term goals of the Project, will be the final arbiter of exception decisions.

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To register to use the trademark, fill out the form on this page. If you have questions, email trademark@opendaylight.org.