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This document is intended to explain the proper usage of Zotero trademarks and the relationship between these trademarks and the licensing of the Zotero software. We've tried to make the following explanation as simple as possible, but ultimately trademarks and copyright are legal matters. If you have any questions about when and how to use Zotero trademarks, you should contact an attorney.
Zotero Trademarks
Zotero is the trademark of George Mason University. This trademark may not be used in connection with any product or service that is not affiliated with the University, in any manner that is likely to cause confusion among Zotero users, or in any manner that disparages or discredits Zotero or George Mason University.
Trademarks and the GPL
Zotero is a copyrighted work released under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) or Affero General Public License (AGPL). Verbatim copies of such works may be made and distributed, by anyone, in accordance with the terms of the GPL/AGPL without violating Zotero trademarks. The GPL/AGPL also grants you certain rights to make and distribute derivative works based on the source code to Zotero software.
The GPL/AGPL does not grant you any right to use Zotero trademarks in connection with these derivative works. Zotero trademarks may not be used in connection with any such derivative works unless that usage is explicitly and specifically licensed, in writing, from George Mason University.
Why Care about Trademarks at All?
It is important to us and to our user community to know which products are released by the Zotero project. That's why we care who uses the Zotero name and how they use it. But apart from the Zotero trademarks, we ensure that the software itself remains fully open source, which is why we use the GPL/AGPL.