

Ask HN: Compatible with $big_vendor_product - seven

Hi,<p>I am thinking about turning a customer product of mine to a saas business. The software configures other devices/programs and manages access to them.<p>My question:<p>Am I allowed to write something like '$my_product is able to configure $big_vendor_product' and put the logo of the big vendor next to it? Am I allowed to use other companies logos in my presentations? Or is it a grey area? What do you do?<p>Thanks for your help.
======
mindcrime
Obligatory disclaimer: Ask a lawyer; legal advice obtained on the Internet is
worth what you paid for it.

That said, from what I can recall from (random internet sources | a "Business
Law 101" class years ago | etc), I _think_ that:

1\. You can mention other companies by name in advertising, without their
permission as long as you make true statement. Example: Ford can run an ad
saying "Our new 2012 Foobar gets 23% better gas mileage than the 2012 Chevy
Blizzle."

2\. Using the other company's logo for commercial purposes - without
permission - is almost certainly not allowed. I'm thinking that will get you
sued for trademark violation pretty quick.

Of course it may be possible to get permission from $big_vendor to use their
logo, but you would have to get in contact with them and negotiate some
arrangement. If your product is complementary to theirs, they might give you
permission to use it for free, since you both benefit. Or they might want
money, or they might say "no" altogether. It really just depends.

Anyway, my advice is to talk to an attorney before going down this rabbit
hole.

