Foursquare Trademark Guidelines for API Developers

Making sure you’re naming your app right and using our trademarks correctly

Ever since we first rolled out the Foursquare® API, we’ve been absolutely blown away by the creativity you guys have brought to our platform. It’s breathtaking.

We put certain conditions on using the API, and, our lawyers tell us, we have to put a couple rules in place around our trademarks to make sure we don’t lose ownership of them (think Aspirin or Escalator). So, if you’re going to be using our API, here are a few rules around what you can and can’t do with our trademarks. We really appreciate this, and it helps ensure that we will be able to distinguish our service from the services and goods of other companies.

Here are the obligations/restrictions:

  • You can’t use ‘foursquare’, 'Swarm' or ‘check-in’, or any variation, in your product name, domain name, or your own trademarked images. For instance, you wouldn’t want to house your product at ‘sixfivefoursquare.com’, or name your app ‘myfoursquare’. You also can’t use ‘4sq’ as a stand-alone word in your product or domain name.
  • On the same note, you can only use our logos, like the ‘check’ icon, our crown, or badge images (like Crown icon, Foursquare logo and Swarm logo), in your apps or website where expressly allowed by our API documentation; basically, that means you can only use it where it makes sense, like as a link to download the official Foursquare® app, a link to send a Foursquare® check-in™ notification, or the crown to signify mayorship in your app. HOWEVER, you can’t put these logos, or any variation, in your own logos, trademark, app name or website; that really confuses users.
  • If you use any of our logos as described above, you must include the following statement on your application or website:
    • "This [application/website] uses the Foursquare® application programming interface but is not endorsed or certified by Foursquare Labs, Inc. All of the Foursquare® logos (including all badges) and trademarks displayed on this [application/website] are the property of Foursquare Labs, Inc."

Phew. Now that that’s over with, here are a few things to make your life easier:

  • We created powered by Foursquare® logos (available here) so you can show your users that you’re working with us. Feel free to use any of these on your app or service, as big as you want on your website, and paste either into your mobile application or app store listings. Just to be clear, use of any of our powered by Foursquare® logos does not in any way signify that your application or service is endorsed or certified by Foursquare Labs, Inc.
  • To send a really clear signal of confidence to your users, use Foursquare’s authentication logo (available here) to signify your OAuth features.
  • Though you can’t use ‘foursquare’, 'swarm', or ‘check-in,’ and you can’t use ‘4sq’ as a stand-alone word, you can use one of the following combined with other words:
    • "FOUR"
    • "SQUARE"
    • "CHECK"
    • "4SQ"
    For example, you can call your app ‘fourfun’, or ‘circlsquare’, ‘4sqstop’, or your website can be ‘mastercheck.com’. But, if you’re going to do this, you must:
    • Use one of our powered by Foursquare® logos, as we described above.
    • Make sure what you’re doing does not run afoul of our Trademark and Brand Feature Guidelines (take a close look at the “Approved Mark License”) and the API License Agreement.

    Please note, we reserve the right to reject any use of these terms in connection with use of the Foursquare® API platform.

Thanks again, so much for supporting the Foursquare API platform. We’re excited to have you here. If you have any other questions, let us know!

- team Foursquare

Note: All uses of our trademarks are subject to our Trademark and Brand Feature Guidelines. If there are any conflicts between these terms and the Trademark and Brand Feature Guidelines, the Trademark and Brand Feature Guidelines shall control.