Trademarks | Oracle

Third Party Usage Guidelines for Oracle Trademarks

Oracle®, Java, MySQL, and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Introduction

Oracle’s trademarks and service marks (“Oracle trademarks”) are valuable assets that Oracle needs to protect. We ask that you help us by properly using and crediting Oracle trademarks in accordance with these guidelines. For information about proper use of Oracle logos, logotypes, signatures, and design marks, please review the Third Party Usage Guidelines for Oracle Logos.


Permissible Use

You may generally use Oracle trademarks to refer to the associated Oracle products or services. For instance, an authorized reseller can note in its advertisements that it is selling the Oracle application server. Similarly, an Oracle customer may issue a press release stating that it has implemented Oracle software.

Relationship of Products or Services
You may indicate the relationship of your products or services to Oracle products or services by using accurate, descriptive tag lines such as “for Oracle database,” “for use with Oracle E-Business Suite applications,” and “works with Oracle software” in connection with your product or service name. Within text or body copy, such tag lines may appear in the same type as your product or service name. On product, packaging, advertising and other collateral where your product or service name is displayed apart from body copy, make sure that the tag line appears in significantly smaller type than your name. You should also distinguish the tag line from your mark by using a different font or color. However, Oracle or the tag line should never appear in the Oracle red color. This is important to avert any implication that your product or service is produced or endorsed by Oracle.

Titles
Oracle permits use of its marks in single volume book titles (not magazines or periodicals) where such use is descriptive or referential. To avoid misleading the public as to Oracle sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement, the Oracle mark must not appear more prominently than the rest of the title, and do not use Oracle logos on the cover. In addition, we request that you include a disclaimer of association with Oracle on the copyright page.

Open Source Software
Most open source licenses do not grant, and many exclude, a license of trademark rights. Do not assume you can use the name of a source code base in the name of your distribution developed from that code base. Without a license or permission, you may not incorporate Oracle trademarks in the name of your distribution or other products that incorporate open source elements. Truthful statements incorporating a trademark are generally allowed (for example, in the format “MyImplementation, derived from Trademarked ProductName”), but you should check the terms of the license for the original source code or any posted trademark guidelines for the project.

User Groups
Oracle generally permits use of its marks in groups name that include phrases such as “user group,” “special interest group,” “lobby,” etc., that clarify the relationship between Oracle and the group and do not create confusion about the source of products. This applies only to user groups that are not formally doing business as commercial entities. If you are administering a user group that includes an Oracle trademark in its name, do not claim any trademark rights in the name or attempt to register the name or your logo with a trademark office, and do not register the name as a trade name or business name, or conduct any business under the name.


Prohibited Use

You may not use Oracle trademarks in a manner which could cause confusion as to Oracle sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement. Take particular care not to use Oracle marks as set out below.

Company, Product or Service Names
Do not use Oracle trademarks or potentially confusing variations as all or part of your company, product or service names. If you wish to note the relationship of your products or services to Oracle products or services, please use an appropriate tag line as detailed above. For example, “XYZ for Oracle database” not “OraXYZ or XYZ Oracle”

Logos
For more information regarding use of Oracle logos, please review the Third Party Usage Guidelines for Oracle Logos.

Trade Dress
You must not imitate Oracle trade dress, type style or logos. For instance, do not copy Oracle packaging for use with your product or display your product name in the distinctive logotype associated with the Oracle logo.

Domain Names
Do not use Oracle trademarks or potentially confusing variations in your Internet domain name. This helps prevent Internet users from being confused as to whether you or Oracle is the source of the Web site.


Correct Use

Proper use of Oracle trademarks reinforces their role as brands for our products and services, and helps prevent them from becoming generic names that can be used by anyone. Examples of former trademarks that became generic terms are “aspirin,” “cellophane,” and “escalator.” By adhering to the following rules, you help protect Oracle’s investment in its trademarks.

Use a Generic Term
Use a generic term in association with each Oracle trademark the first time the mark appears in text, and as often as possible after that. You need not include generic names in headlines, package titles and documentation titles. For example, “Oracle iLearning software”, “Oracle On Demand services”, and “Oracle database.”

Use as Adjectives
Oracle trademarks are adjectives and should not be used as nouns, or in the possessive or plural form. For example, “Oracle database’s benefits...” not “Oracle’s benefits...”

Avoid Variations
Do not vary Oracle trademarks by changing their spelling or abbreviating them. For example, “Oracle Collaboration Suite” not “CollabSuite.”


Trademark Symbols and Credit Lines

Proper trademark attribution through trademark symbols and credit lines helps makes the public aware of our trademarks, and helps prevent them from becoming generic terms. Credit lines also help clarify that they belong to Oracle. Accordingly, Oracle would appreciate you attributing ownership of Oracle trademarks to Oracle Corporation by using trademark symbols (™ or SM or ®) and credit lines as detailed below.

Trademark Symbols
Use the ® symbol with the most prominent appearance of the “Oracle” mark on products, packaging, manuals, advertisements, promotional materials and Web pages (for example, in the headline of an advertisement), and the first use of the mark in text or body copy. This includes situations where “Oracle” is a part of a product or service name (for example, Oracle® Collaboration Suite, Oracle® PartnerNetwork). You do not need to use trademark symbols with other Oracle trademarks.

Example: XYZ Develops New Product for Oracle® Database
XYZ Corporation, a member of the Oracle® PartnerNetwork program, has developed the ABC software cartridge for use with the industry leading Oracle database. The ABC software cartridge is one of numerous products XYZ has developed that complement leading Oracle offerings.

“Oracle” receives a trademark symbol in the headline because this is the most prominent appearance, and when it appears as part of the “Oracle PartnerNetwork” name because this is the first appearance in text. While there is no trademark symbol after “Oracle” when it appears in front of the term “products” and “offerings” since we already used a symbol the first time that the term “Oracle” appeared in body copy. It is always acceptable to continue using the ® after “Oracle” throughout the document.

Credit Line
All products, packaging, manuals, advertisements, promotional materials and Web pages bearing Oracle trademarks should include the following trademark credit line.

“Oracle, Java, MySQL, and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.”

The credit line may appear anywhere on the collateral, but typically is displayed on a copyright page, the back of a package or at the end of a document or web page.


“Oracle” As a Trade Name

Trade names are the actual business names of companies. Trademarks and trade names are not the same, even though many companies use their trade names as trademarks. If you are using “Oracle” as a substitute for Oracle Corporation, you are using it as a trade name. Because they are nouns, trade names can be used in the possessive and do not require a generic term or a trademark symbol. Thus, you should not use a ® after “Oracle” when it appears as part of the full corporate name or as a trade name.

Examples

  • Corporate Name: This software was developed by Oracle Corporation.
  • Trade Name: This software was developed by Oracle.
  • Trade Name: Oracle’s latest software developments are outstanding.
  • Trademark: The Oracle® database leads the industry.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding Oracle trademarks, please contact the Oracle Legal Department at +1.650.506.5600 or trademar_us@oracle.com.