@wowawebdesign I want to strongly oppose the suggestion that this is in any way “absurd.” I think it is absurd to think that an open source and freely available product where companies build their businesses upon gives them the right to use our brand for whatever they like.
The TYPO3 trademark represents the collective value, quality, and reputation built by our community over many years. While the software is freely available, the brand is a protected asset that requires careful management.
If you can pay for advertising using our brand name, why not support the TYPO3 ecosystem that makes your business possible in the first place? A Gold membership is just 230 euro per month – a fraction of what most agencies spend on their advertising budgets.
It’s important to note that this policy isn’t actually new. The previous trademark policy already required explicit permission for using TYPO3 in advertising campaigns, including Google AdWords/AdSense. What we’ve done in the 2025 policy is simply make it clearer who can receive this permission and establish a more transparent process.
The policy is quite specific: “Non-members and members below the Gold level are not permitted to use the TYPO3 wordmark in any form of paid advertising.”
This is a deliberate decision to:
- Protect the TYPO3 trademark from dilution
- Create clear value for our Gold and Platinum members
- Establish a consistent standard for commercial use of the trademark
While descriptive use of TYPO3 is allowed in your regular website content, blog posts, and unpaid communications, paid advertising is a specific category where we’ve restricted usage to Gold+ members.
For businesses that profit from TYPO3, contributing to its sustainability should be considered an essential investment, not an optional expense.