• New Site Q & A
• Website Changes FAQ

1. Getting Immediate Help
       G.O.A. contacts
   
   
2. Required Guidelines and Policies
     On-site Group Guidelines
     Cafe Guidelines
     Copyright and Trademark Policy
     Promotional Items
     Do's & Don'ts
     Moderator Oath
     Required Files
     Rules & Etiquette Guidelines
   
   
3. Moderating Freecycle
     Acronyms
     Instructional Video
     Organisational Chart
   
   
4. The "Files"
   
   
5. Notices
     Seasonal Notices
   
   
6. Responses
   
   
7. Pass The Torch
   
   
8. Volunteering
   
   
9. Translations
   
   
10. UK Moderators Manual
    
    

The Freecycle® Trademark & Copyright Policy for the European Union

[Updated on 28th October 2011]

For Immediate Help:

Please contact trademark@freecycle.org

For appropriately designed promotional materials please access our professionally designed brochures. Permission for printing and use of our mark may be request by writing to trademark@freecycle.org

Overview

We are doing a really good thing here. And, we are also learning as we go, which means there will be evolution and change. Because the Freecycle® concept is unique and amazingly successful, there are many who have and who would try to use it for personal gain and profit. For that reason, The Freecycle Network is incorporated as a nonprofit organization, and the Freecycle name and logo are both trademark protected. We need to do our best to properly use the Freecycle trademarks so that we don't lose the right to them.

The use of the term "Freecycle" denotes a gifting service which is officially approved by the nonprofit organization "The Freecycle Network", and one that the public can expect to adhere to certain standards. The Freecycle Network must approve any email list or website that uses the term "Freecycle" in its name and provides any soft of exchange service. (A relevant point for us to note internally is that we have to demonstrate a "concerted" effort.)

If you are in the European Union, the proper logo is followed by an ® rather than a ™. The following policy accounts of this mark registration (®) in both countries.

1. The Logo:

Please include both the Freecycle logo and the below noted attribution statement as part of the local Group's front page description. If you would like to use a Freecycle® separately from the attribution text in the European Union, it may be found here

2. The Attribution Statement

(This is fancy speak for a statement attributing ownership of a trademark and any copyrights to someone at the bottom of emails,, etc.)

At the bottom or within the body of all official Freecycle web sites, articles, press releases, automatic notices, and group home pages the following trademark attribution should appear (the horizontal lines are nice because they separate it from your content but they're not necessary):

Copyright © 2003 The Freecycle Network (http://www.Freecycle.org). All rights reserved.
Freecycle is a registered trademark of The Freecycle Network, CTM Reg. No. 5722723.

In Group email list footers use the following (in this case include the lines to set it apart:

‐---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freecycle is a registered trademark of The Freecycle Network, CTM Reg. No. 5722723
‐---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To save space, if you wish you may use an image which includes the attribution statement by entering the following address into the image field in your group description: http://static.t-f-n.org/images/freecycle_logo_r_attr_ctm.jpg

3. Alteration of the actual logo is not permitted

Local Groups must use the official Freecycle logo. It must include an (R) symbol or ® and appear exactly as it does on http://www.freecycle.org. It is however perfectly okay to put adornments around it and behind it. Never put anything over any portion of the logo or otherwise obscure the basic for of the logo or the ® symbol

4. E-mail addresses with the word "Freecycle" in them.

One should consider using something explanatory in addition to the word "Freecycle" in their e-mail address or ID for clarity's sake. Example: FreecycleSpringfield@hotmail.com.

5. On your local Yahoo group sites, articles, press releases & automatic notices

The first "prominent display" or introduction of the mark (i.e., the first time you use the term Freecycle in a document) needs to be distinguished from other text with an (R) or ®. This is in addition to the above attribution statement (the footer-note statement in point 2). So, a Freecycle group site should have an (R) or ® by the logo at the top and an (R) or ® by the first use of The Freecycle Network (or of the word Freecycle, whichever comes first. The other instances of Freecycle can be without an (R) or ® marking, though it is still important to capitalize or color them to show they are not just common words.

1. In HTML, use this HTML code: "Freecycle®" (without the quotes) to create this: Freecycle ®
2. For plain ASCII text documents, in email, and in files in a Yahoo group, use "Freecycle(R)" (without the quotes).
3. For other documents, use any method available to create the (R) superscript or ® symbol.
4. There's no need to use the ® mark more than once per document
5. Do not use the ® mark in email addresses, email subject tag lines (such as [freecyclemytown]), group names, or URLs.
6. Do be sure to include the footer in item 2 above, whenever possible. TIP: If you are sending an email and wish to add the ®, it makes sense to use the (R) version rather than the superscript (R) symbol (even if you know how to generate the ASCII version) because many email programs will not display it right to the recipient.

6. Use of the Freecycle® trademark in texts

a) When using the term "Freecycle" please do the following:

• While "The Freecycle Network" is a trade name, it also functions as a service mark -- i.e., a source indicator -- so it is okay to use an R or ® with it.

  For example: The Freecycle Network® or The Freecycle Network(R)

• When used as a trade name (think proper name), the term "Freecycle" may be used in place of "The Freecycle Network" to allow sentences to be more concise.

  For example: While The Freecycle Network has been growing by leaps and bounds, Freecycle also remains true to its core mission.

• The term "Freecycle" in text must always be capitalized to set it off from the surrounding text.

  Example: Freecycle groups are great!

• Do not say "I'm a freecycler." - Do say "I'm a Freecycle member."
• Do not say "Keep on freecyclin!" - Do say "Keep on recyclin', my Freecycle friends!"
• Do not say "Freecycling group." - Do say "Freecycle group"
• Do not say "Please Freecycle." - Do say "Please join a Freecycle group."
• Do not say "There are 10 freecycles in this state." - Do say "There are 10 Freecycle groups in this state."
• Do not say "freecycle's membership." - Do say "The Freecycle Network's membership."

• Group description/home page
• Group email footer text
• Group welcome message
• All automatically sent notices -- especially the Freecycle Etiquette document Press releases or other stand-alone documents
• Flyers

Copyright © 2003 The Freecycle Network (http://www.Freecycle.org). All rights reserved.
Freecycle is a registered trademark of The Freecycle Network, CTM Reg. No. 5722723.