HerdOS Brand Protection Notes
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This file is not legal advice. It is a practical checklist for protecting the HerdOS name and logo before public launch, investor presentations, app-store submission, or customer sales.

Current asset set
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- herdos-logo-original.png: original client-facing HerdOS logo supplied by the founder, cropped for platform headers and presentations.
- herdos-logo-icon.png: compact crop from the original logo for dashboards, PWA install, mobile headers, and small placements.

Immediate protection steps
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1. Keep using HerdOS(TM) until a trademark attorney confirms registration status. Do not use the registered symbol unless registration is granted for the relevant goods/services.
2. Run a formal clearance search before launch:
   - USPTO Trademark Search for the word mark "HerdOS" and related cattle/software terms.
   - USPTO design search for cattle, calf, RFID/circuit, pasture/field, and combined design elements.
   - WIPO Global Brand Database for international conflicts if HerdOS may be sold outside the United States.
   - Domain, app-store, social handle, and internet searches for confusingly similar names and logos.
3. File both marks if clearance is acceptable:
   - Word mark: HerdOS.
   - Design mark: the combined cattle/RFID/pasture logo.
   - Likely classes to review with counsel: downloadable/mobile software, SaaS, agricultural technology, livestock management, and farm data services.
4. Save proof of first use:
   - Dated logo files.
   - Screenshots of HerdOS in the main and field apps.
   - First investor/customer presentation date.
   - Website/domain launch records.
5. Use the logo consistently:
   - Do not stretch, recolor randomly, or separate the mark from the HerdOS name in customer-facing material.
   - Keep enough spacing around the logo so it remains recognizable.
   - Use the dark green, teal, gold, cream, and burgundy palette consistently.
6. Before selling the platform, ask counsel to review open-source assets, logo ownership, trademark filing strategy, and assignment documents so ownership is clean for investors or buyers.
