Trademark policy

"ChangeSpec" and "ChangeSpec Certified" are trademarks of Roboticforce Inc. This policy describes what uses are permitted, what uses require certification, and how the marks may be displayed.

The purpose of this policy is to make the "ChangeSpec Certified" mark meaningful. A certification mark that anyone can use without meeting any standard communicates nothing. A mark with enforced standards communicates that an implementation has been verified to meet those standards.

Policy version: 1.0 - Effective: 2026-04-16 - Owner: Roboticforce Inc.

"ChangeSpec" (wordmark)

The bare wordmark "ChangeSpec" refers to the specification itself, the format, and the ChangeSpec ecosystem. It is descriptive of the technology.

"ChangeSpec Certified" (certification mark)

"ChangeSpec Certified" is a certification mark. It asserts that a specific implementation has passed the ChangeSpec conformance test suite at a defined level.

The following uses are permitted without any certification or approval:

• Describing compatibility: "This library reads and writes ChangeSpec 1.0 events."
• Claiming format support: "Supports ChangeSpec event format."
• Documentation references: Citing the specification in documentation, blog posts, or tutorials.
• "ChangeSpec Compatible" claim: Any implementation the author believes conforms may claim "ChangeSpec Compatible" without running the formal test suite. This claim is on the author's own authority and does not carry the certification mark.
• Open source implementations: Building and publishing open source libraries that implement the format.
• Integration announcements: Announcing that a product integrates with ChangeSpec-formatted feeds.
• Academic and research use: Referencing ChangeSpec in papers, research, or educational materials.

The following claims require passing the conformance test suite at the corresponding level:

• "ChangeSpec Certified" (any form) requires Level 1 or higher certification.
• "ChangeSpec Certified: Level N" requires passing the test suite at that exact level.
• The ChangeSpec Certified SVG badge requires the corresponding level certification.
• "Certified ChangeSpec Producer" or "ChangeSpec Certified Producer" requires Level 4 producer certification.
• Any claim that implies independent verification or endorsement by Roboticforce Inc.

Self-certification (running the test suite yourself and reporting 0 failures) is sufficient for Levels 1-3. Level 4 requires official review.

• Claiming "ChangeSpec Certified" without having passed the conformance test suite.
• Claiming a certification level that has not been achieved.
• Modifying the certification marks or creating derivative marks that could be confused with them.
• Using the marks in a way that implies Roboticforce Inc. endorses the implementation's security or fitness for any particular purpose. Certification attests to conformance with the test suite only.
• Using the marks to disparage the project, its maintainers, or other certified implementations.
• Registering domain names or social media handles that use "ChangeSpec Certified" as a primary identifier without authorization.

Nominative fair use of the "ChangeSpec" wordmark is permitted. Describing something as "a ChangeSpec parser", "a ChangeSpec event", or "compatible with ChangeSpec" is nominative use and is not restricted by this policy.

The test for nominative fair use:

1. The product or service cannot be readily identified without using the mark.
2. Only as much of the mark is used as is necessary for identification.
3. The use does not suggest sponsorship or endorsement by Roboticforce Inc.

Contributors to the ChangeSpec specification repository may identify themselves as "ChangeSpec contributor" or "ChangeSpec maintainer" in personal bios and professional profiles without certification. These are factual descriptions of a relationship to the open source project, not certification claims.

Roboticforce Inc. reserves the right to revoke certification and require cessation of mark use if:

• An implementation obtained certification fraudulently.
• An implementation regresses and no longer passes the test suite at the claimed level, and the regression is not fixed within 60 days of notification.
• An implementation caused material harm to users who relied on the certification.

Revocation is communicated in writing with 30 days to respond, except in cases of fraud or immediate user harm.