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TRADEMARK.md

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+# career-ops Trademark Policy
+
+This document explains how the "career-ops" name and brand may be used.
+It complements — not replaces — the MIT [LICENSE](LICENSE) that governs
+the source code.
+
+## TL;DR
+
+- **MIT covers the code.** Use it, modify it, fork it, build on it.
+- **This policy covers the name and brand.** It's intentionally
+  permissive for community use and reserved for commercial product
+  naming and endorsement.
+- **In doubt? Ask.** hi@santifer.io, subject `Trademark request`.
+
+## The relationship with the MIT license
+
+The MIT license grants broad freedoms to use, copy, modify, and
+redistribute the source code. It does not grant rights to the name
+"career-ops," its visual identity, or any associated brand assets.
+Those are reserved by the project's maintainer, Santiago Fernández de
+Valderrama, and any successor entity stewarding the project.
+
+This is the model used by PostgreSQL, Apache, Mozilla, GitLab, and
+most mature open-source projects: the code is free, the brand is
+stewarded.
+
+## What you can do without asking
+
+The following uses are explicitly welcome:
+
+- **Forking and modifying the code** — per MIT, no permission needed.
+- **Describing compatibility, origin, and lineage** — "works with
+  career-ops," "based on career-ops," "fork of career-ops," "extends
+  career-ops" are all welcome and encouraged with attribution.
+- **Naming a fork distinctly** — pick your own product name; mention
+  career-ops as origin if you like.
+- **Educational, journalistic, and personal use** — blog posts,
+  tutorials, videos, talks, papers, research.
+- **Community contributions** — using the name freely in PRs, issues,
+  Discord, and discussions.
+
+## What requires written permission
+
+The following uses are reserved because they cause — or can be
+reasonably perceived to cause — confusion about official affiliation,
+endorsement, or sponsorship:
+
+- **Product, service, or company names** that include "career-ops" or
+  close variants. This includes prefixes, suffixes, and capitalizations:
+  "career-ops Cloud," "career-ops Pro," "career-ops SaaS," "Career-Ops
+  Hosted," "CareerOps by [vendor]," "Cloud career-ops," etc.
+- **Endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation claims** in any context:
+  "Powered by career-ops," "Official career-ops," "Sponsored by
+  career-ops," "Partner of career-ops," "Featured by career-ops," and
+  similar phrasings.
+- **Domain names, social handles, and app store listings** containing
+  "career-ops" or close variants for commercial purposes.
+- **Logos, wordmarks, color schemes, and visual identity assets** in
+  any commercial context.
+- **Compatibility certifications** that imply official testing or
+  approval ("career-ops Certified," "career-ops Verified").
+
+This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. The principle is: if your
+use suggests an official relationship that doesn't exist, please ask.
+
+## How to request permission
+
+Email **hi@santifer.io** with subject **"Trademark request — [your use case]"**
+and include:
+
+1. What you'd like to use the name for
+2. Where it would appear (URL, product name, marketing surface)
+3. A short description of your project
+4. The duration and scope of the requested use
+
+We aim to respond to thoughtful requests within two weeks. Permission,
+when granted, is non-exclusive, revocable, and limited to the specific
+use case described.
+
+## Why this policy exists
+
+career-ops is a community-built project used by tens of thousands of
+people. A clear brand allows the code to remain free, the documentation
+trustworthy, and contributors confident that no one is impersonating
+the project.
+
+This policy is intended to be permissive, not punitive. If you've read
+this far and are unsure where your case lands, write us — we'd rather
+have the conversation than have a surprise.
+
+## Modeled after
+
+[PostgreSQL Trademark Policy](https://www.postgresql.org/about/policies/trademarks/),
+[Apache Software Foundation Trademark Policy](https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/),
+[Mozilla Trademark Policy](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/foundation/trademarks/policy/),
+and the [GitLab Trademark Guidelines](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/corporate-marketing/brand-activation/trademark-guidelines/).
+
+## Updates
+
+This policy may be updated as the project evolves. Material changes
+will be announced in [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md).
+
+---
+
+© 2026 Santiago Fernández de Valderrama. "career-ops"™ is a trademark of
+Santiago Fernández de Valderrama. A trademark application has been filed
+with the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM) in classes 9
+(downloadable software) and 42 (Software-as-a-Service); registration
+pending. International extensions under the Madrid Protocol may follow.