Hi,
This may be more of a question for Legal, but I’m wondering about using the term “Framework” in community-developed projects, so I am posting it here.
I believe “Framework” is a trademark (wordmark?) of Framework Computer Inc., and I wonder if it can be used in projects based around the Framework’s products.
Concretely, I’m building a USB keyboard based on the Framework 13 keyboard matrix. It’s just a school project, but I might want to open-source it, and I’m not sure if/when/how it’s acceptable to use the word Framework since I’m not affiliated with the company.
Can I use it as part of the project name? I.e., “Framework USB Keyboard”? I think it makes it sound like an official product, but I’m not sure about the legal aspect. It might appear, e.g., as a GitHub repository name or on the silkscreen of the manufactured PCB.
Can it be used as a simple identifier inside other projects? E.g. as part of a QMK keyboard name ( qmk_firmware/keyboards/framework_usb_keyboard)?
In my case, I consider it to be only a one-time fun project. There are no plans for commercial use or monetization, but I’d be interested in the rules in general.
Also, I already have the first (and probably last) prototype boards, and they have the “Framework USB Keyboard” text printed on silkscreen. If it’s not an acceptable project name, and it will eventually be renamed, should I cover the text up when potentially sharing photos of the completed project?
Thanks for any replies, I’m excited to build something around the Framework ecosystem, even though I don’t have the money to spend on a new laptop (and I don’t want the old one to end up in a landfill yet;)