OGL 1.0a Guide

Compatibility and Trademarks

Licensing the rules is not the same as licensing the brand. Here's where that line actually sits.

Guide Hub
The boundary

The OGL never grants any right to Paizo's trademarks — "Pathfinder," "Paizo," their logos, or their trade dress. Publishing OGL-derived content doesn't let you present your work as official, use their branding, or imply an endorsement that doesn't exist.

If you want to claim compatibility

Paizo offers a separate Compatibility License specifically for using their official compatibility logos and trademarks to signal "works with Pathfinder" — this is a distinct grant from the OGL itself, with its own restrictions (notably, it does not cover campaign-setting adventures). The OGL alone does not include this.

What this means for content on this site

This site's own branding — its name, logos, and trade dress — is likewise its own Product Identity, not Open Game Content, the same principle running the other direction. See Open Game Content vs. Product Identity for the general rule this is one instance of.

Common mistake: assuming that because content is legitimately OGL-derived, it's fine to badge it as "official" or use a publisher's logo. Those are separate permissions the OGL doesn't include.
This is a guide, not legal advice. It's a drafting aid and checklist, not a certified or guaranteed-compliant legal review. Rules and policies (including Paizo's own licensing pages) can change — check the reviewed date below and the primary sources it links to. For anything beyond routine attribution, consult a qualified attorney.
Reviewed by Eco, 2026-08-26. Source: paizo.com/licenses, checked 2026-08-26.