# UFFS Trademark Policy The **UFFS** abbreviation, the full name **UltraFastFileSearch**, and the UFFS logo (the rust-orange lightning bolt inside a magnifier on a dark tile) are project trademarks owned by [Sky, LLC](https://github.com/skyllc-ai). This document explains how you may and may not use them. **Last updated:** April 2026 **Status:** common-law / unregistered mark. This policy applies the same way a registered ® mark would, but enforcement is lighter. --- ## Why this file exists The UFFS **source code** is licensed under the [Mozilla Public License 2.0](LICENSE). That gives everyone the right to use, modify, and redistribute the code. The UFFS **name and logo** are separate. They identify *this* project — the one at — and distinguish it from forks, reimplementations, and unrelated software that might look or sound similar. Copyright and trademark are two different legal regimes; MPL-2.0 grants the first and says nothing about the second. This separation is standard practice. Mozilla does it for Firefox. The Python Software Foundation does it for Python. The Rust Foundation does it for Rust. Kubernetes, Linux, PostgreSQL, and every other major open-source project have a trademark policy sitting alongside the code license. --- ## What you can do without asking You **can** do all of the following — no permission needed, no attribution beyond normal editorial conventions: - **Talk about UFFS.** Write blog posts, tutorials, reviews, comparisons, academic papers, Stack Overflow answers, or YouTube videos about it. - **Link to the project.** Use the name and the logo in a hyperlink pointing to the official repository. - **Use the name in book or article titles** when the book is genuinely about UFFS (e.g. "Getting Started with UFFS"). - **Say your software "uses UFFS," "integrates with UFFS," or "is compatible with UFFS"** — as long as that's true. - **Use the logo at its intended size and proportions** in slides, posts, articles, or videos that are *about* UFFS. Don't redraw it, don't recolor it, don't mash it up with your own logo. - **Ship unmodified redistributions** of the upstream project (e.g. a Linux distribution package of the exact upstream source) using the UFFS name and logo. These uses fall under what trademark law calls **nominative fair use**: you're referring to the real thing, by its real name, and no reasonable person would be confused about the source. --- ## What you cannot do without asking You **may not**, without prior written permission: - **Call your own software "UFFS," "UltraFastFileSearch," or any confusingly similar name.** A modified fork that you distribute needs a different name. (Want to call your fork "UFFS Turbo"? Ask first.) - **Sell merchandise, stickers, T-shirts, mugs, pins, or any physical goods carrying the UFFS name or logo.** Even at cost, even for community events — ask first. - **Use the UFFS logo as part of your own company or product logo**, even if your product is related to or built on UFFS. - **Register a domain name, trademark, social media handle, app store listing, or company name that contains "UFFS" or "UltraFastFileSearch."** - **Claim or imply endorsement, partnership, or sponsorship** by UFFS, Sky, LLC, or the project maintainers. - **Modify the logo or wordmark.** No recoloring, no redrawing, no adding your own badge on top. If you need a variant that doesn't exist in the brand kit, open an issue tagged `brand`. - **Use the logo in a way that would harm the project's reputation**, such as on malware, misleading marketing, or content unrelated to the tool. --- ## Forks Forks are welcome — that's the whole point of open source. If you fork UFFS and want to distribute your fork publicly, here's the rule: 1. **If you're shipping the upstream code with only mechanical changes** (e.g. a Debian package, a Homebrew formula, a Nix derivation), you can keep the UFFS name and logo. That's nominative use. 2. **If you're maintaining a long-lived fork with meaningful divergence** (your own features, your own bug fixes, your own release cadence), **rename it.** Pick something distinctive. Keep the UFFS name *only* in factual references: "Fork of UFFS," "Based on UFFS," "Compatible with UFFS." You cannot ship it *as* UFFS. This protects both you and the project. Your fork gets to build its own identity without being confused with upstream, and upstream doesn't end up on the hook for bugs you introduced. Same rule applies to reimplementations: if you rewrite UFFS in Go, that's cool — call it something else. --- ## Quick reference table | Use | Allowed without asking? | |---|---| | Blog post titled "How UFFS works" | Yes | | GitHub README linking to UFFS | Yes | | Slide deck featuring the UFFS logo in a comparison chart | Yes | | Debian/Homebrew/AUR package of vanilla upstream | Yes | | Your fork with one bugfix, still called "UFFS" | Yes (rename it if it diverges) | | Your fork with new features, called "UFFS Pro" | **No — ask first** | | T-shirt with the UFFS logo sold on Redbubble | **No — ask first** | | Your SaaS product called "UFFS Cloud" | **No — ask first** | | Modified logo in project rainbow colors | **No — ask first** | | Your company logo that includes the UFFS bolt | **No — ask first** | --- ## Getting permission For anything in the "ask first" list: open a GitHub issue on the repository with the label `brand`, or email [`trademark@uffs.io`](mailto:trademark@uffs.io). Tell us: - Who you are. - What you want to do. - Where the work will appear (URL, product, event, etc.). - How much UFFS branding will be visible and how long you expect to use it. We will respond within a reasonable time. Permission, when granted, is non-exclusive, revocable, and specific to the use you described. --- ## Enforcement We don't aggressively chase every edge case. We will ask you — politely — to stop if: - Users are being confused about the source of your software. - Your fork is shipping security issues under the UFFS name. - You're monetizing the mark without permission. - Your use meaningfully harms the project's reputation. Most disputes end at "please change the name of your fork" and everyone moves on. If they don't, Sky, LLC reserves the right to pursue common-law trademark claims. --- ## Changes to this policy This policy may be updated as the project matures (including, eventually, formal trademark registration). Check the commit history of this file for past revisions. The current version is always the one at the repository's `HEAD`. --- ## Contact - **Project:** - **Maintainer:** Robert Nio · [Sky, LLC](https://github.com/skyllc-ai) - **Email:** [`trademark@uffs.io`](mailto:trademark@uffs.io) --- *This policy draws on the structure of the [Rust Foundation trademark policy](https://foundation.rust-lang.org/policies/logo-policy-and-media-guide/) and the [CNCF / Kubernetes trademark policy](https://www.cncf.io/about/trademark-usage/), adapted for a smaller, unregistered mark.*