What's in a name?
By
Lenn Pryor on July 13, 2005 in Developer Blog.
There has been some discussion in the Skype development community recently regarding when it is and is not appropriate to use the Skype Trademark in product names and URL’s.
The first point to make here is that under the terms of the API Re-distribution terms, any use the the name ‘Skype’ is prohibited unless permission from Skype has been granted. The basic principle at work here is that the name is our trademark, our identity - and want to protect it from being used to sell products and services that we don’t produce or support.
We think everyone can benefit from a little clarification of the what is and is not acceptable use of the Skype trademark to help you stay in compliance with our licensing terms.
So here’s the deal…
Websites which operate under a ‘Skype’ name to offer blogs, journals and other non-commercial content may continue to do so assuming that the content of these sites remains non-offensive or damaging to our trademark and brand.
Per clause 2.4 of the Skype API Re-distribution terms:
”2.4 You will not distribute the Application online through website(s) that is/are in any way similar to the Skype Website or use the Skype’s trademarks or words describing Skype’s products or services as the registered URL for website(s).”
This means any product which contains the word Skype as part of the product name is in violation of the terms and should be corrected immediately. Skype does and will continue to monitor compliance with these terms.
