Lemonfiber
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Trademark & forking policy

Rendered from spec at76d46f3 (2026-10-25) · its source · Edit this page

Status: Accepted

The code is open; the identity is not. This page says what that means for someone who forks — because a proprietary mark without a stated forking policy just leaves people guessing.

What’s protected

The name lemonfiber, the logo and wordmark, and the marks under brand/assets/logo/ are proprietary (licence rationale). The code (Hippocratic 3.0) and the design tokens (open) are not.

This is the ordinary shape of an open project with a protected identity — Rust, Mozilla, Python and Docker all do it. The software is free to use, fork and redistribute; the name and logo are not, so a fork can’t impersonate the project.

If you fork

You may fork any repo and build on the code. If you distribute your fork:

Do Don’t
Rename it — your own name, your own logo Ship it as “lemonfiber” or with the lemonfiber mark
Use the open tokens if you like Use the proprietary logo assets
Say “based on lemonfiber” factually Imply endorsement or that it is lemonfiber
Keep the licence and attribution Remove the licences or DCO history

The one-line version: fork the code freely; don’t wear the name.

Nominative use is fine

You can refer to lemonfiber by name — “a plugin for lemonfiber”, “compatible with lemonfiber”, “based on lemonfiber” — that’s honest, factual reference and needs no permission. What needs permission is using the name or mark as your own project’s identity, or in a way that suggests official status.

Why this matters for the token split

It’s why brand is licensed in two parts: the tokens are open so a fork (or the web UI) can use the visual system, while the marks stay proprietary so the identity can’t be lifted. A forker gets the design language and must bring their own name.

Requirements

ID Requirement
DES-R22 The forking policy MUST be stated: the code and tokens are open; the name and marks are not and MUST NOT be used by a fork as its own identity.
DES-R23 Nominative reference to lemonfiber MUST be permitted without requiring permission.