Trademarks
Trademark protection exists for words, names and symbols. Trademarks are generally registered with a government office (in the U.S. the Patent and Trademark Office), and must be registered in each different jurisdiction in which protection is desired. The IETF Trust holds registered trademarks in the IETF name and the stylized IETF “four diamonds” logo in a number of countries. The IETF Trust also claims trademark rights in variants of these marks, such as the IAB’s version of the “diamonds” logo. To use an IETF trademark in a book, web site or other application, see the documents listed below.
Issued and Pending Trademarks
Logos
- IETF Logo (GIF), 172 KB
- IETF Logo (JPG), 356 KB
- Logo Colors: Black, PMS 443 and PMS 122
Patents
Patents can be obtained to protect inventions, which may include standardized technologies. IETF does not seek patent protection for IETF standards or protocols. IETF participants may seek patent protection for their own inventions, and IETF has strict requirements regarding the disclosure of patents and patent applications that potentially cover IETF standards or protocols. The rules regarding patent disclosures at IETF are contained in BCP 79.