[imc-st.louis] TRADEMARK NOTIFICATION, Freecycle(TM)

[Media Relations]

Dear Journalist:

 

We are extremely appreciative of your past coverage of The Freecycle
Network(TM) and its phenomenal growth as a nonprofit organization and as a
grassroots recycling and gifting network. Thank you. We shall certainly
continue to strive to further reach out to the public about this wonderful
effort by thousands of volunteers worldwide. 

 

We are, however, also making a concerted effort to reach out to all media
that have run a story on Freecycle(TM) in order to educate them as to the
appropriate usage of the trademark-protected term "Freecycle." As you can
imagine, protecting such name as a small nonprofit is no mean feat. In order
to maintain the concept of one which stands solely for the integrity of a
nonprofit public commons we must keep the mark from becoming merely
descriptive or generic.

 

For this reason I include below a link to our site's trademark section which
walks you through examples of appropriate vs. inappropriate use of the mark.
This information can be found here:

 

Freecycle(TM) Trademark and Copyright Policy

http://www.freecycle.org/faq_tm.php

 

Further, we have a contact email address for any trademark questions which
you may have at:

tmsupport at freecycle.org

 

Common misuses include adapting the mark as a noun such as the phrase
"freecycler." The appropriate usage would be to say "Freecycle member" (note
also the use of capitalization of the mark). The first use of the phrase
should be followed by a superscript TM. If you use the total organizational
name, it is appropriate to add the superscript TM after the entire name:
"The Freecycle Network(TM)." Another common mistake is to use the mark as a
verb as in "freecycling" or "to freecycle" as opposed to the correct usage:
"posting and item to the local Freecycle group." For further detailed
appropriate usage tips, please reference The Freecycle Network's Web site
noted above.

 

Thank you again for your wonderful coverage. You may be interested to know
that we will be launching an entirely new Web site in the coming six months
which shall be free from Yahoo groups and provide a new and wonderful home
to the now 1.5 million Freecycle members in over 50 countries! Stay tuned.

 

Sincerely,

Media relations
Freecycle.org
press at freecycle.org

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