Trademark and license
Using the CoGS™ name
CoGS is a trademark of Rob Perissi (US application serial 50163587, filed October 15, 2026). This page says how to refer to it, so resellers, writers, and people building on the card can do so without asking.
Two phrases
CoGS card. A board sold with the CoGS firmware installed by an authorized reseller. Today that is the CoGS card itself, from JCM and MacEffects. “Running CoGS firmware” means the same thing.
CoGS. The firmware, the project, and the card. Write it CoGS, capital C, lower-case o, capital GS. The gear in place of the o is the logo; plain text is fine everywhere else. Use the ™ on first mention in a document if you like; it is not required.
The firmware license
I'm planning to release the firmware, card ROM, GS/OS software, and documentation source on GitHub soon, under a license that is free for personal and noncommercial use. Writing about CoGS, reviewing it, streaming it, and linking to it are all welcome and need no permission.
Commercial use, including selling a board with CoGS installed, is licensed separately. Write to [email protected].
Please don't
Use CoGS, or a name close enough to be confused with it, as the name of a company, a product that is not a CoGS card, or a modified firmware. Imply that the project made or endorses hardware it did not.
The bus interface CoGS runs on is the open-source A2Pico design by Oliver Schmidt and Ralle Palaveev. A2Pico is their name, and their license terms apply to their work.