Trademark Guidelines
Guidelines for the use of the names "Founder Financial Infrastructure Standard" and "FFI Standard" in external documents, publications, derivative works, and professional communications.
Last updated: April 2026
The Distinctive Names
The names "Founder Financial Infrastructure Standard" and "FFI Standard" are the distinctive identifiers of the framework published at ffistandard.org. These names are not registered trademarks. They are used as common law identifiers of the specific open standard developed and maintained by The Oakworth Group.
The Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license under which the Standard is published governs the reproduction, adaptation, and distribution of the Standard's content. These trademark guidelines govern the use of the Standard's names, which is a separate matter from the content license. Both sets of rules apply simultaneously to any use of the Standard.
Permitted Uses
The following uses of the names "Founder Financial Infrastructure Standard" and "FFI Standard" are permitted without prior written consent.
Citation and reference
Any person or organisation may use the names to accurately identify and cite the Standard in documents, publications, research, term sheets, investment agreements, academic papers, and professional communications. The citation format is available on the Cite the Standard page. Attribution is required under the CC BY 4.0 license whenever the Standard's content is reproduced or adapted.
Educational and informational use
Accelerators, universities, professional associations, and other educational organisations may use the names to refer to the Standard in program materials, curricula, reading lists, and publications, provided such use accurately represents the Standard and does not imply endorsement by or affiliation with The Oakworth Group where no such relationship exists.
Commentary and criticism
The names may be used in commentary, analysis, criticism, and discussion of the Standard, provided such use is clearly framed as commentary and does not misrepresent the content or status of the Standard.
Professional communications
Investors, advisors, and legal professionals may use the names in term sheets, portfolio requirements, investment agreements, and client communications when referencing the Standard as a framework for financial infrastructure requirements.
Prohibited Uses
The following uses of the names are not permitted.
Implied endorsement
The names must not be used in a way that implies official endorsement of a person, organisation, product, or service by the Founder Financial Infrastructure Standard or by The Oakworth Group, where no such endorsement has been granted. An advisory firm may state that its services are aligned with the FFI Standard. It may not represent itself as officially certified, endorsed, or accredited by the Standard or its maintainers without written agreement.
Identity confusion
The names must not be used in a way that causes or is likely to cause confusion about whether a document, product, service, or organisation is the original FFI Standard or is produced by The Oakworth Group. A derivative work based on the Standard must be clearly identified as a derivative and must not represent itself as the original Standard.
Misrepresentation of the Standard
The names must not be used in connection with statements that materially misrepresent the content, scope, or authority of the Standard. Attributing requirements, positions, or conclusions to the Standard that are not contained within the published text is not permitted.
Incorporation into product or service names
The names must not be incorporated into the name of a commercial product, service, software application, or certification program without prior written consent from The Oakworth Group. Use of "FFI" as a prefix or suffix in a commercial product name in a way that creates association with the Standard is not permitted.
Derivative Works
The CC BY 4.0 license permits adaptation of the Standard's content. The following rules apply to derivative works.
A derivative work based on the FFI Standard must include a clear attribution statement identifying the original work as the Founder Financial Infrastructure Standard, stating the version used, and linking to ffistandard.org. The attribution must appear prominently in the derivative work.
A derivative work must not represent itself as the Founder Financial Infrastructure Standard or as an official version or update of the Standard. It must be clearly identified as a derivative or adaptation.
A derivative work must not use the names "Founder Financial Infrastructure Standard" or "FFI Standard" as the primary title of the derivative work. A title such as "Our Framework, derived from the Founder Financial Infrastructure Standard" is acceptable. A title such as "The FFI Standard for [Industry]" that implies the derivative is a variant or extension of the original Standard is not permitted without written consent.
Enquiries and Consent Requests
For uses not addressed by these guidelines, or to request written consent for a specific use, contact the Standard team at the address below. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. There is no fee for consent requests.
When submitting a consent request, describe the specific use proposed, the context in which the names will appear, and the audience for the document or communication.
Governing Law
These guidelines are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute arising from the use of the names described in these guidelines is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.