Logo Policy and Media Guide

The Boost trademark

The Boost C++ Library collection (or “Libraries”) is a community-driven, open source project published under the terms of The Boost Software License (the “BSL”). It is governed by a core team (the “Developers”), consisting of the members of the official Boost GitHub organization located at https://github.com/boostorg (the “Boost GitHub”) having the Owner role, plus any proxies they designate.

The Libraries are sponsored in part by The C++ Alliance, Inc. (or “Alliance”), a California 501(c)(3) non-profit which owns and protects the Boost logo trademark (the “Boost Logo”) shown below. This document provides information about the use of the Logo, as well as examples of common ways people might want to use this trademark, with explanations as to whether those uses are permitted or not or require additional written permission.

The Boost Logo:

Note: The background is transparent. The source for the image is available at Boost_Symbol_Transparent.svg.

A trademark is a name or design that tells the world the source of a good or service. Protecting trademarks for an open-source project is particularly important. Anyone can change the source code and produce a product from that code, so it’s important that only the original product, or variations that have been approved by the project, use the project’s trademarks. By limiting use of the Boost Logo, the Alliance and the Developers can help users and contributors know they are getting an official product and not someone else’s modified version, or something unrelated. The trademark assures users and developers of the quality and safety of the product they are using.

Trademark policy

The Boost Logo (bitmap and vectors) are owned by the Alliance and distributed under the terms of the license granted by this policy.

Note: The use of the Boost Logo is also governed by trademark, whose policy is described herein.

The Boost Logo makes it possible to determine whether or not a library is officially a part of Boost, and whether or not a communication is from the Developers. So we’re careful about where we allow it to appear. But at the same time, we want the community to have confidence using it in prescribed ways without written approval. The policy laid out here explains how we strike a balance. If you have any doubts about whether your intended use requires permission, please contact us (Boost developers mailing list).

The Boost Logo may not be used in ways that appear (to a casual observer) official, affiliated, or endorsed by the Developers or part of the Libraries, unless you have written permission from the Alliance.

Referring to Boost

As with any trademark, the Boost Logo can be used with minimal restriction to refer to the Libraries, or on official communication from the Developers such as when announcing the results of a formal review, or announcing the publishing of a new version of the Libraries. If you use the Boost Logo to distribute any product or content created by someone else, then you must give appropriate credit to the creator(s) of the content and you must indicate if you made changes to the content.

The Boost Logo may not be used:

to refer to any other library or collection of libraries,
in a way that is misleading or may imply an association between the Libraries and unrelated modules, tools, documentation, or other resources, or
in a way that implies an endorsement or communication from the Developers, or
in ways that confuse the community as to whether the Libraries are open source and free to use.

Uses that do not require explicit approval

Indicating accurately that a work (components such as source code, documentation, and tests) is part of the Libraries. In this case you may reflect this by using the Boost Logo without prior approval, for both commercial and non-commercial uses.
Watermarking official communications from the Developers when referencing milestones or events related to the Libraries such as formal review results or releases is allowed.
Using the Boost Logo on websites, brochures, documentation, academic papers, and books to refer to the Libraries is allowed.

Uses that require written approval

Using the Boost Logo where the products are not part of the Libraries. In this case, written approval from the Alliance is required to ensure that the usage of the Boost Logo does not confuse users or indicate an official association.
Using the Boost Logo on any thing you wear such as T-shirts, hats, and other artwork or merchandise, requires written approval from the Alliance to ensure that the presentation of the mark reflects the high quality of the brand, and does not confuse users or indicate an official association.
Using the Boost Logo for social events like meetups, tutorials, and the like is allowed for events that are related to the Libraries and free to attend. For commercial events (including sponsored ones), prior written approval from the Alliance is required. The event cannot appear to be officially endorsed or run by the Developers without written permission.

Logo reproduction requirements

Reproduction of the Boost Logo in compliance with the terms and conditions stated above must meet the following additional requirements:

Color reproductions must use Boost Mustard or the closest possible color match.
Black and white reproductions of the Boost Logo must be either pure black or pure white.
The background color must maintain at least 50% contrast with the logo color.
The logo must not be rotated or have its aspect ratio changed.
The logo may only appear once on any individual page, artwork, or product packaging.
The logo cannot be combined with any other artwork without prior written approval from the Alliance.

Permission to use the Boost Logo is granted for as long as the usage is consistent with the terms and conditions herein. Usage of the Boost Logo not in accordance with this document and without written approval from Alliance is expressly prohibited.