The Moodle trademark policy is the set of rules that Moodle publishes for using the word Moodle and the Moodle logos. It matters to licence managers because Moodle LMS is open source, and many organisations assume that an open source licence also lets them use the project name freely. Moodle’s trademark page says otherwise. The software may be copied, modified and redistributed under the GNU GPL, but the name and logos are protected separately, and an organisation that hosts, customises or supports Moodle for others, or that builds a product or domain around the name, may need Moodle’s permission.
The trade mark
Moodle states that the brand and the word Moodle have trade mark protection in many countries, that various Moodle trade marks are owned by Moodle Pty Ltd or one of its associated entities, and that the law obliges trade mark owners to police their marks and prevent confusingly similar names.[1] The footers of Moodle’s websites repeat the position: the word Moodle and associated Moodle logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Moodle Pty Ltd or its related affiliates.[1][5]
Why the GPL does not cover the name
Moodle explains the reason for the policy. Because Moodle LMS is made available under the GNU General Public License, which permits anyone to modify the copyrighted software, distributing modified software in combination with Moodle trade marks can potentially mislead others in the community. Moodle then says, to be clear, that the GNU GPL does not include an implied right or licence to use Moodle’s trade marks.[1] Moodle also states that the policy exists to protect the business model that lets it continue developing its software.[1]
The GPL text that Moodle reproduces on its licence page is consistent with this position. Section 7 allows a licensor, for material it adds, to decline to grant rights under trademark law for the use of some trade names, trademarks or service marks.[2] Whether any particular use is lawful is a question of trade mark law in the relevant country. This article reports only what Moodle publishes.
The licence page contains a short statement under the heading Use of Moodle Marks. It says that, without prior written permission from Moodle, one cannot use the word Moodle or any Moodle logos, nor any derivatives or words and marks that are deceptively or confusingly similar, for any commercial purposes, or in ways likely to confuse consumers about the origin of the software, or to suggest an association with or endorsement by Moodle.[2] It refers readers to the trademarks page and its Trademark Guidelines.[2]
Allowed uses
Moodle lists uses that do not require any permission.[1]
- Referring to the software or the Moodle project as the Moodle software or the Moodle project.
- Describing your own implementation of the Moodle software platform, including within corporate settings.
- Describing a Moodle-based community hub.
- Describing software you have made that integrates with Moodle branded software, for example a Moodle integration feature on another system.
For an organisation that merely runs Moodle, for example a university or company intranet, these permissions cover ordinary references: saying that the learning platform is built on Moodle, or that an in-house tool integrates with it.
Restricted uses
Moodle states that the following uses are generally prohibited without explicit and direct permission from Moodle Pty Ltd, so as to protect the project from software and sites which could confuse people.[1]
| Use | Position on the trademarks page |
|---|---|
| Commercial use of the word Moodle or Moodle logos to indicate association or endorsement | Requires prior written permission from Moodle HQ |
| In the name of software, including mobile apps | Not allowed without permission |
| In a company name | Not allowed without permission |
| In a domain name | Not allowed without permission |
| In advertising-related keywords such as Adsense | Not allowed without permission |
| To describe services around Moodle (hosting, training, support, consulting, course creation, theme development, customisation, installation, integration, analytics, certification) so that consumers may be confused about association with Moodle HQ | Not allowed even if no charge is made; usually only Moodle Partners have this permission |
The table summarises the restricted-use list in the policy.[1] Moodle directs those in doubt to the trademark contact address published on the page for clarification.[1]
Consequences for service providers
The last row is the one with the most commercial effect. A company that offers Moodle hosting or support without being a Moodle Partner is, under Moodle’s published policy, restricted in how it can use the word to describe those services. The Certified Partner program is the route to permission: Moodle lists, among the benefits of becoming a Certified Partner, usage rights for the Moodle and Moodle Certified Partner trademark logos and co-branding on Moodle’s official websites.[4] Moodle says that every Moodle service is delivered through its network of Certified Partners.[6] Moodle publishes a searchable directory of its Certified Partners and Service Providers, which a customer can use to check a provider’s status.[10]
Consequences for product and plugin names
A software product, plugin or mobile app whose name includes Moodle falls under the restriction on use in the name of software.[1] For plugins listed with Moodle, the plugin contribution checklist makes this concrete: use of Moodle trademarks in a way that violates the Moodle Trademarks Policy is one of the examples of issues that prevent a plugin from being approved.[3] A plugin author who intends to list a plugin should check the name against the policy before the first submission. The Certified Integrations program is a separate, optional commercial partnership and is not a requirement for listing a plugin on the Marketplace.[9]
Consequences for domains and company names
Registering a domain name or incorporating a company with Moodle in the name is in the restricted list.[1] An organisation that already operates, for instance, a learning site on a domain containing the word, or an internal subsidiary with the word in its name, should record the permission or the basis on which it relies. Describing a site as a Moodle-based community hub is separately listed as an allowed use, which shows that the policy draws a line between describing what a site is and branding it as part of Moodle.[1]
Brand guidelines
Moodle publishes brand guidelines in addition to the trademark page. It describes them as an important tool for Moodle HQ, its Certified Partners and the community to ensure that the Moodle brand is presented correctly and consistently, covering mission and values, voice and tone, logos, colour palette, typography, imagery and composition, and it asks users to comply and to contact Moodle for details.[1] The guidelines apply where use of the brand has been approved.[1]
Branded apps and hosted services
The same distinction between code licence and brand appears in Moodle’s app and hosting products. The Branded Moodle App lets an organisation customise the look and name of its own app to match its brand identity, and Moodle describes the offer as the customer’s own app published in the Apple App Store and Google Play under its name.[7][6] That is a service sold through Certified Partners, which is consistent with the restriction on using Moodle in the name of a mobile app without permission. The terms for Moodle App Plans separately prohibit removing or altering trademark, logo, copyright or other proprietary notices on the website or services.[8]
Practical checks
- Name audit. List every product, app, plugin, domain, company and campaign name in the organisation that contains the word Moodle, and note the basis for each: permission, partner status, or an allowed descriptive use.
- Service providers. Check whether any vendor describing itself as a Moodle host, trainer or support provider is a Certified Partner or a Moodle Service Provider before relying on its claims.
- Plugin submissions. Check plugin names before submitting to the Marketplace, since trademark misuse is a listed approval blocker.[3]
- Keep the software licence and the brand separate. Compliance with the GPL conditions on modified copies does not by itself grant any use of the name, as Moodle states.[1]
Out of scope
This article does not reproduce the Moodle Trademark Guidelines or Brand Guidelines documents, which are available from Moodle on request, and it does not address trade mark law in any jurisdiction or how any dispute over Moodle marks has been resolved. It does not cover the GPL conditions on modified software, which are in Moodle LMS licensing.