External Materials Compliance Checklist
When developing materials for external use, follow the SAFE Framework and the Guidelines for Use of Third-party IP in External Materials (the “IP Guidelines”). If you have any questions, reach out to the Legal & Corporate Affairs Team via the #safe Slack channel.
In addition to following the SAFE Framework and the IP Guidelines, review the following Checklist before publishing or using materials you’ve created. This Checklist serves as a quick-reference guide, and should not be used as a substitute for reviewing and following the SAFE Framework and the IP Guidelines in full.
- All facts and statements included in the materials are true and correct, and not misleading or deceptive in any way.
- All statements of fact and assumptions are clearly referenced (giving the source name and date) from a reputable source within the collateral (e.g., Gartner, SEC filings, GitLab partner, mainstream technology publications).
- As of dates to indicate the date the information was accurate are included. (e.g.,
Over 1700 team members as of April 31, 2022). - Backup materials and data verifying any express or implied claims in the materials are saved and accessible.
- There are no guarantees regarding outcomes or that the product will meet any individual’s, company’s, or customer’s specific needs.
- Materials do not contain any unqualified superlatives or overpromotion (e.g. replace
the bestwithamong the best). - There are no defamatory statements made about other companies, products, services, or people.
- Case studies included are accurate, not misleading, and necessary approvals for publication from the customer or partner featured are in place and documented.
- If indicated by the Required Disclaimers guidance, the appropriate roadmap disclaimer is included.
- All audio and visual content (including images, video, sounds, and music) is obtained from a permissively-licensed source, or is subject to a license permitting the proposed use.
- All content is appropriate for a professional setting and neither offensive nor misleading.
- Where necessary, signed Publicity Waiver and Release agreements are in place with named individuals, and individuals appearing in audio or visual content.
Examples - is Legal Review Necessary?
| Nature of Materials | Legal Review Necessary? |
|---|---|
| Materials related entirely to company culture (e.g., All-Remote) | No |
| Materials solely relying on and citing data from prior public (i.e., SEC) filings |
No |
| Materials based on pre-existing material previously reviewed by Legal & Corporate Affairs without substantive changes |
No |
| Materials about the tech industry or DevOps generally | No |
| Materials which quote, or are in the name of, a Section 16 Officer (i.e., Board Members, Sid, Brian, Robin, McB, and Eric J.) and VP, IR (Jack Andrews) |
Yes |
| Materials which include financial data that has not been previously disclosed publicly, or a variation of previously disclosed financial data |
Yes |
| Materials with which a Team Member has concerns related to SAFE or third-party IP |
Yes |
| Materials related to mergers or acquisitions, including spin out, investment or acqui-hires |
Yes |
| Materials related to executive or other material organizational changes | Yes |
| Materials related to quarterly earnings, including future results and dates of earnings release |
Yes |
| Materials related to roll out of products material to the business | Yes |
| Crisis communications | Yes |
2eb0e162)
