Geocaching Logo Usage and Trademark Information

The following terms constitute a legal Agreement. You must completely agree to these terms before downloading and/or utilizing any of the Groundspeak Geocaching Logos.

Groundspeak began using the Groundspeak Geocaching logo in 2001. To Geocachers and others alike, the Groundspeak Geocaching logo has come to symbolize Geocaching. It has become our signature "trade dress." After all, the only reason that people think of this logo in association with Geocaching is because we used the logo on our Geocaching.com Web Site and associated promotional merchandise. The Groundspeak Geocaching Logo is a Registered Trademark of Groundspeak Inc., both in the United States and many other countries around the world.

We recognize that things do get more complicated, though, when an image like the logo is so widely known that it comes to symbolize not just our products and services but also the entire game/sport of Geocaching. This is a good thing, and we want it to continue. But trademark law is sticky on this point. If a trademark isn't "protected" (by letters asking people not to use it, or by licenses that allow them to use it only in specific ways), it gets into the public domain and loses its protected status. If this happened, anyone could use the logo without restriction, including in ways that were detrimental to Geocaching.

Groundspeak also owns Registered Trademarks for the "Groundspeak" word mark, "Language of Location" word mark, "Travel Bug" word mark and the Travel Bug logo. Other Trademarks of Groundspeak include the CITO Logo, Tech + Nature logo, "Tech + Nature" word mark, "Signal the Frog" word mark, and others.

In order for Groundspeak to protect the integrity and impact of our Trademarks, we need to maintain artistic control over how they are used. We are trying to make the Groundspeak Geocaching logo as available as possible as a symbol for Groundspeak Geocaching while protecting it as Groundspeak’s trademark. With the exception of the Groundspeak Geocaching logo trademark, Groundspeak does not license Groundspeak trademarks, except in very limited circumstances. Accordingly, the following is our policy on using the Registered Trademark Groundspeak Geocaching logo:

Non-commercial use

Groundspeak will hereby license the Groundspeak Geocaching logo for non-commercial products and non-commercial Web sites. In addition to complying with all of the following terms, any use of the logo requires an acknowledgment of their registered trademark status and, if the use is on a Web page, the logo must be used as a link to www.geocaching.com or www.groundspeak.com. To request additional Groundspeak Geocaching Logo artwork, beyond that which is available here, please send email to logo@groundspeak.com indicating where, how, and for what purpose you plan to use the image.

Acceptable non-commercial uses of the Groundspeak Geocaching Logo:

The Groundspeak Geocaching Logo may be used on non-commercial Web pages, where the context in which the Groundspeak Geocaching Logo is placed portrays Geocaching and Groundspeak in a positive light. You will need to include the following language in small text somewhere on the page where the Groundspeak Geocaching logo appears: "The Groundspeak Geocaching Logo is a registered trademark of Groundspeak, Inc. Used with permission." Please make the "Groundspeak, Inc." part of the statement a link to our home page (http://www.groundspeak.com).

We are also willing to make allowances for those of you who have creative ideas and want to do something fun for your friends and fellow Geocachers. The Groundspeak Geocaching Logo may be used only on non-commercial items. These items may include, but are not limited to shirts, hats, coins, logbooks, stickers and cache containers. Additionally, the Groundspeak Geocaching logo may not be modified in any way. If the lifetime use of the design is less than 25 units, you may consider permission automatically granted. These items may not, under any circumstance, be sold. For larger numbers of items, please request permission by sending an email to logo@groundspeak.com.

Commercial use

We are, under certain circumstances, willing to license the Groundspeak Trademarks for some commercial products and Web sites. To inquire about the use of any Groundspeak Geocaching Logo on any commercial product or site, please send email to logo@groundspeak.com with a description of the product or web site, indicating where and how you'd like to use the Groundspeak Geocaching Logo(s).

If you have questions or comments about the Groundspeak Geocaching Logo or any other Groundspeak trademarks, or if you want to use one of our trademarks in some way that we haven't explicitly described on this page, please send a detailed request to logo@groundspeak.com. For more information, please send your questions to logo@groundspeak.com.

Additional Legal Terms and Conditions

The Groundspeak Geocaching logos and Trademarks have been created exclusively by Groundspeak, Inc. and are copyrighted by Groundspeak.

No web development, web design, web graphic designer or web hosting firm can use the Groundspeak Geocaching logos or Trademarks without paying a developer's license fee if they plan on altering the logos for their client(s). For information on commercial licenses, please send an email inquiry to logo@groundspeak.com.

The user of a personal website is not permitted to commercially exploit any of the Groundspeak Geocaching logos. Nor can the web user transfer the Groundspeak Geocaching logos to any third party. Any reprinting, sublicensing, copying, modifying, publishing, assignment, transfer, sales, or other distribution of the Groundspeak Geocaching logos contained within this website or any other website is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of Groundspeak. The user shall not copy, reverse engineer, translate, port, modify or make derivative works of the Groundspeak Geocaching logos without express written permission from Groundspeak.

All Groundspeak Geocaching logos are to be used "as they appear" and are not to be cut up or resized or altered without express written permission of Groundspeak.

All Groundspeak Geocaching Logos are copyrighted and may not be reproduced, even if modified or merged with other graphics. The user shall not alter or remove any copyright notice, digital watermarks or proprietary legend contained in/on any of the logos. Unauthorized copying of the Groundspeak Geocaching logos or failure to comply with any of the terms, restrictions, conditions, or limitations herein will result in automatic termination of this non-exclusive license.

No other website is allowed to offer the Groundspeak Geocaching logos from their website in any way shape or form without the express written consent of Groundspeak.

In the event that Groundspeak requests the removal of the Groundspeak Geocaching Logos, you hereby agree to remove the logos from your server, hard drive, diskette, any CD Rom, Zip drive, network drive, or any forms of electronic/hard storage media within 24 hours or less of being notified.

These terms of this agreement are subject to change without notice. The following are Groundspeak Geocaching logos which may be downloaded for use on non-commercial sites as detailed above. Feel free to download these logos for use on your personal, non-commercial pages or merchandise as detailed above. For Internet use, the logo must be a link to www.geocaching.com or www.groundspeak.com. Make sure to right click on the image and choose "save as." Do not link directly to these images from your web site.

An EPS file can also be sent by request.

If you have any additional questions, please email them to logo@groundspeak.com.

The following are Groundspeak Geocaching logos which may be downloaded for use on non-commercial sites as detailed above.

Feel free to download these logos for use on your personal, non-commercial pages or merchandise as detailed above. For Internet use, the logo must be a link to www.geocaching.com or www.groundspeak.com. Make sure to right click on the image and choose "save as." Do not link directly to these images from your web site.

    

    

    

    

    

    

An EPS file can also be sent by request.

If you have any additional questions, please email them to logo@groundspeak.com.