# Trademark & Branding Policy

BATorrent's **source code** is free and open under the [MIT License](LICENSE) — you may use, modify, distribute, and even sell it, as that license allows.

This document covers something the software license does **not**: the project's
**name, logo, and identity**. The code is open; the brand is not. This is the
same separation used by most open-source projects (Firefox, Chromium, etc.):
open code, protected name.

## What is owned by the project
The following are the property of the BATorrent project / Mateus Cruz and are
**not** granted to you by the MIT License:

- The name **"BATorrent"** (and confusingly similar variants).
- The bat **logo** and icon set.
- The visual identity (wordmark, color scheme as a brand).
- The official domain **batorrent.com** and the official distribution channels
  (the `BATorrent-app` GitHub organization, the Microsoft Store listing).

## What you can do
- ✅ **Fork the code, modify it, redistribute it** — that's MIT, and it's encouraged.
- ✅ Say truthfully that your project **"is based on"** or **"is a fork of" BATorrent**.
- ✅ Keep the existing copyright notices (the MIT License requires this).
- ✅ Contribute back — pull requests to `BATorrent-app/BATorrent` are very welcome.

## What you should not do
- ❌ **Distribute a fork or modified build under the name "BATorrent"** (or a name
  likely to be confused with it). Please pick your own name for a redistributed build.
- ❌ Use the BATorrent logo or branding as the identity of your own distribution.
- ❌ Present your build in a way that implies it is the official one, or point your
  users at it as if it were BATorrent's official release/update channel.

The goal is simple and friendly: keep your work yours, keep the official build
recognizable, and make sure users always know which build is the official one and
where updates really come from.

## Why this exists
A torrent client is exactly the kind of software that gets repackaged with
adware or malware under a familiar name. Protecting the name is how we protect
**users** — so that "BATorrent" always means the clean, no-ads, no-telemetry,
open-source build. It is not meant to discourage forks or contributions; it's
meant to keep the name trustworthy.

## Questions
Not sure whether something is okay? Just ask — open a discussion or email
**contact@batorrent.com**. We're happy to work it out, and genuine good-faith
forks and contributors are always welcome.

_This is a project policy, not legal advice. The MIT License governs the code;
this document covers the name and brand._