Trademark and Name Use Policy

• 1.1 The names of the Nexus Standards identify the standards and the open process that produces them. They are protected to prevent confusion about the origin and status of a document, a product or a claim, not to restrict use of the standards, which are openly licensed.
• 1.2 This Policy sets out the uses of the names that are free, the uses that require written permission and the uses that are not permitted.

GCRI Canada administers these names as Secretariat on behalf of the programme. The word Nexus on its own is in common use, and no exclusive right in it is claimed. The registered-trademark symbol is not used with any of these names.

• 3.1 Referring to a Nexus Standard by its name, identifier, version and link, in any medium, including in academic, journalistic, policy and commercial writing.
• 3.2 Stating that a product, dataset or method implements clauses of, or is derived from, a named Nexus Standard, with its identifier and version, provided the statement is accurate and the supporting evidence is published.
• 3.3 Using identifiers and UNI codes as notation, and quoting or adapting the text of a standard under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.
• 3.4 A National Standards Council naming its national profile, edition or derivative standard with its own name and crediting the Nexus Standard from which it is derived.
• 3.5 Stating accurately that a person or organisation participates in a working group, committee or council, in the capacity recorded.

• 4.1 Composing Nexus Standards, NXS or the name of a programme body into the name of a product, service, company, event, publication series, domain name, repository or social-media account.
• 4.2 Any graphic mark, emblem, seal or badge that refers to the Nexus Standards, or that could suggest conformance, approval or membership.
• 4.3 Using a Nexus name for a national derivative standard, which the Secretariat permits on request unless a clear risk of confusion exists.

• 5.1 Stating or implying that a Nexus body has certified, accredited, approved or endorsed a product, organisation, person or national decision; no Nexus body certifies or accredits.
• 5.2 Describing a Nexus Standard as an official, governmental or intergovernmental standard, or implying government or intergovernmental endorsement that is not recorded.
• 5.3 Describing an implementation as conforming to a Nexus Standard without published evidence, or describing a derivative that departs from a normative requirement as conforming rather than derived.
• 5.4 Using a Nexus name in a way that is false, misleading or likely to cause confusion about the source or status of a document, product or service, or that disparages the programme or its participants.

• 7.1 The Nexus Standards name other standards bodies and their standards only to identify them and their documents. No emblem or mark of any other body is shown, and no mark of another body forms part of a Nexus name.
• 7.2 Organisations that support the programme are acknowledged in a separate acknowledgement and are never presented as issuers, authors or approvers of a standard.

• 8.1 Requests are sent to the Secretariat at contact@therisk.global, describing the proposed use, the name concerned, the product or activity and the territories. The Secretariat acknowledges a request within fourteen days.
• 8.2 Permission is given in writing, free of charge, for a defined use, and may be withdrawn if the use changes or causes confusion. Permission granted to an organisation ends when its participation in the programme ends, unless the permission states otherwise.

• 9.1 Suspected misuse may be reported to contact@therisk.global. The Secretariat first asks the user to correct the use, and allows a reasonable period to do so.
• 9.2 Where misuse continues, GCRI Canada may require that the use cease and may take the steps the law permits. Rights in the names are reserved.
• 9.3 This Policy may be amended; the amended Policy is published on this page with a new effective date.