Proper Reference to Linden Lab's Brand Names in Text

If you just want to refer to the Second Life® virtual world or another Linden Lab product or service, the following sections explain how to do that properly in text:

• Guidelines for Proper Reference to Linden Lab's Brand Names in Text
• Proper Reference on Your Website or in Promotional or Advertising Materials
• Proper Reference for Publications, Audio-Visual Works, and Events

To make proper referential use of our word marks or brand names, including the Second Life brand name:

1. You must refer to our products and services accurately in text in an informational or descriptive manner; and
2. You must not incorporate our trademarks in your branding or in any name of your product, service, business, organization, or second-level domain.

Here are a few examples of references that are OK to make:

1. You sell software under YOUR BRAND and state on your website that your scripts are "for use in the Second Life® world."
2. You call your in-world news service The YOUR BRAND Gazette and use a small line of plain text underneath reading "News from and about the Second Life® world."
3. You make an online guide to clubs in the Second Life world, calling it MY CLUB GUIDE, and state on your website that you are offering "a guide about clubs in the Second Life® world."

Guidelines for Proper Reference to Linden Lab's Brand Names in Text

Follow these guidelines when referring to a Linden Lab word mark or brand name:

Guidelines for Proper Reference to Linden Lab's Brand Names in Text

Follow these guidelines when referring to a Linden Lab word mark or brand name:

1. Notice Symbol. In the United States, always use a trademark notice symbol for your first or most prominent reference to a Linden Lab brand name. Use the symbol ® for our brand names that are registered trademarks and ™ for those that are unregistered. This chart shows Linden Lab's trademarks and the proper symbol for each in the United States. Outside the United States, do not use trademark notice symbols like ® and ™, but do use the statement of trademark notice provided in Paragraph 2 below.
2. Attribution Notice. In the United States and elsewhere, always use a legible and reasonably prominent trademark attribution notice in the following format: "__________ and __________ are trademarks of Linden Research, Inc."
3. Generic Nouns. Always follow a Linden Lab brand name with an appropriate generic noun for at least your first reference to the brand name. A "generic noun" is a common noun and not a proper noun, trademark, or brand name. Here are some accepted generic nouns for our brand names. This list is not exhaustive, and other generic nouns may be appropriate.
   After the first reference, use an appropriate generic noun after the Linden Lab brand name as often as possible. Never use the brand name as a generic noun or verb, and never use it in the plural or possessive form. For example:
   
   This is OK:
   the Second Life® virtual world
   the Second Life® world
   Second Life® residents
   the SL™ community
   an SL™ account
   Linden™ dollars
   the LindeX™ exchange
   a SLurl™ link
   ‍
   This is NOT OK:
   a Second Life
   my Second Life
   your Second Life
   Second Life's
   Second Lives
   Second Lifing
   Linden Labs
4. ‍Contact Information. When providing your Second Life contact information, use an appropriate generic noun after the Second Life or SL brand names unless the media that you're using has space constraints that don't allow inclusion of the generic noun.
   
   For example, on your website, in your email footer, or in the author information on your book jacket,
   
   This is OK:
   Second Life contact
   SL contact
   Second Life name
   SL name
   Second Life avatar
   SL avatar
   Second Life resident
   SL resident
   Second Life user
   SL user
   
   On a business card that doesn't allow the noun's inclusion, you may use the inSL or SL trademarks followed by a colon and your Second Life avatar name:
   ‍
   inSL: (Second Life Avatar Name)
   SL: (Second Life Avatar Name)
   
   Use this abbreviated solution ONLY where space limits require it.‍
5. For Linden Lab's Products Only. Use Linden Lab's brand names, including the Second Life and SL brand names, solely to refer to Linden Lab's products and services. Do not use Linden Lab's brand names to refer to products or services that Linden Lab doesn't provide either directly or under license.‍
6. Display Requirements. Always capitalize and spell Linden Lab's brand names exactly as they are shown here, and do not abbreviate them or alter their spelling, spacing, hyphenation, or punctuation.Do not make up words that contain a Linden Lab brand name, and do not use a Linden Lab brand name in your own name. For example:
   
   This is NOT OK:
   Second life
   second life
   sl
   Second-Life
   SecondLife
   2nd Life
   2Life
   Second Lifers
   Linden Labs
   Lindex
   slurl
   Lindenism‍
7. No Design or Stylization. Always reference a Linden Lab brand name in plain text without design or stylization. Never use a Linden Lab brand name or trademark in a logo unless you have special written permission from Linden Lab.

Proper Reference on Your Website or in Promotional or Advertising Materials

If you wish to make textual reference to a Linden Lab brand name, including the Second Life® brand name, on your website or in materials promoting your contributions to the Second Life world, follow these additional guidelines:

1. No Use in Your Branding. Do not use any Linden Lab brand name in your product or service name, your business or organization name, or your second-level domain name except as specifically allowed in our License To Use SL™ or inSL™. A "second-level domain name" is the part of a domain name that commonly refers to the organization or entity that registered it. Use our brand names with referential phrases like "for," "for use with," "compatible with," "in," or "available in." For example, you may say in plain text on your website that your software is "for use in the Second Life® world."
2. Display Requirements. Make any Linden Lab brand name less prominent than your product or service name and the name of your business or organization.
3. For the Second Life World. Your product or service must be for use in or with the Second Life world, and your business or organization must have a presence in or be associated with the Second Life world.
4. No Logo Use. Do not use any Linden Lab logo, including the Second Life Eye-in-Hand logo, anywhere on your website or in your promotional materials without special written permission from Linden Lab.
5. Notice and Disclaimer. Use a legible and reasonably prominent notice and disclaimer in the following format: "__________ and __________ are trademarks of Linden Research, Inc. (Your Business or Organization Name) and (Your Product or Service Name) are not affiliated with or sponsored by Linden Research." Include it where notices and disclaimers are usually included, for example, the footer of a website's home page, a footnote on the first page of a document, an attribution section, or a credits page.

Proper Reference for Publications, Audio-Visual Works, and Events

If you wish to make textual reference to a Linden Lab brand name, including the Second Life® brand name, in connection with a book, magazine, periodical, audio-visual work, event, or conference, follow these additional guidelines:

1. Title Guidelines. If you are using any Linden Lab brand name in your title, use it only with a referential phrase like "for," "in," or "about," and make the brand name and referential phrase less prominent than the rest of the title. For example:
   
   This is OK:
   YOUR BRAND CONFERENCE for Second Life® Users
   
   VIRTUAL WORLD BUSINESSES:
   Successful Models in the Second Life® World
   ‍
   
2. Display Requirements. Make your name and logo appear more prominently than any Linden Lab brand name in your publication, audio-visual work, event or conference materials, and any related materials.
3. No Logo Use. Do not use any Linden Lab logo, including the Second Life Eye-in-Hand logo, anywhere in your work or materials without special written permission from Linden Lab.
4. Notice and Disclaimer. Use a legible and reasonably prominent notice and disclaimer in the following format: "__________ and __________ are trademarks of Linden Research, Inc. (Your Publication Title or Audio-Visual Work or Event Name) is not affiliated with or sponsored by Linden Research." Include it where notices and disclaimers are usually included, for example, the footer of a website's home page, a footnote on the first page of a document, an attribution section, or a credits page.