Rust Language Trademark Policy Updates, Explained

The Rust Foundation Board of Directors, including the independent Project Directors, has voted to approve an updated version of the Rust Trademark Policy, following the recent updates shared by the Rust Leadership Council and the Rust Foundation and a final feedback collection period. As many of you know, we have been collaborating with the Leadership Council, board, legal counsel, and community members for many months and we are pleased to finally have an updated version of the policy to share. 

As you review the the full version of the updated Rust Language Trademark Policy here, please keep these key points in mind: 

• Our trademarks relating to the word “Rust” only cover to its use in the context of the Rust language. They don’t, nor have they ever, related to other usages of the word “rust”.
• We deeply value the contributions, creativity, and passion of our community members. We want to emphasize that the updated trademark policy is not about imposing limits on what you do. Instead, it is meant to ensure that the Rust language is protected from misuse and bad actors.
• As long as you do not suggest official Rust affiliation or endorsement, it is fine to do the following without seeking approval:
  • Use the Rust trademarks on t-shirts, stickers and other swag as long as they are not being sold commercially.
  • Use the Rust trademarks for non-profit events like meetups and trainings.
  • Use the name Rust on books, blog posts, websites, videos, and social media accounts. Note: In some of these cases you can also use the logo. Please check the policy for full details.
  • Use “Rust” in the name of crates or code repositories in e.g. GitHub, when referring to use with or compatibility with the Rust programming language.

We would like to thank all of the involved members of the Rust community and particularly the Rust Leadership Council for their help and support throughout the process of updating the policy.