MMA Trademark Policy
The following describes the MMA's rules regarding Trademark Usage.
1. "MIDI" is an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, which refers to a series of Specifications maintained and published by MMA (and AMEI in Japan). Products, services, and technologies ("Products") based on the Specifications are known, as "MIDI Products", "MIDI Files", etc.
2. MMA has common law rights in the use of the term "MIDI" in conjunction with Specifications for the MIDI industry.
3. The term "MIDI" (whether alone or in conjunction with other terms or modifiers) may be used by other parties (a) in reference to Products that are compliant with an MMA Specification, or (b) in the name of a company that provides such Products. Such uses need not be approved in advance by MMA.
4. The use of the term "MIDI" alone or in combination with other terms or words to identify Products which differ from those that are set forth in MMA Specifications is likely to lead people to assume that such Products are based on MMA Specifications. This dilutes the value of MMA Specifications (and Products based on those Specifications) and represents unfair competition, deceptive trade practice, and false advertising. Therefore such uses are not approved by MMA.
5. The treatment (font and design) of the term "MIDI" which appears in the MMA Logo (see web page header, above) and in logos licensed by MMA identifying products compliant with MMA's General MIDI Specification may not be used by any party without first obtaining a license from MMA. At this time no usage other than those mentioned above is licensed by MMA.