Policy and Guidelines

Mission

University of Idaho Office of Trademark and Licensing supports the University of Idaho (U of I) community by promoting the brand, protecting the marks and managing the licensing of U of I branded products.

Overview

The purpose of this policy is to provide information and guidelines regarding the use of U of I trademarks.

U of I's Trademark and Licensing program was established as a foundation for promoting and protecting the use of U of I trademarks. A trademark (or mark) is any logo, symbol, nickname, letter(s), word, slogan, or derivative that can be associated with an organization, company, manufacturer or institution and can be distinguished from those of other entities or competitors. The U of I owns and controls its name(s) and other marks, logos, insignias, seal, designs and symbols (hereafter, “trademarks”) that are associated with the institution.

U of I trademarks include, but are not limited to, the words “Idaho,” “Vandals,” “University of Idaho,” “Idaho Vandals,” the initials U of I and logos such as the block “I” Vandal, the Vandal script mark, Joe Vandal and the official U of I seal. This policy applies to all U of I marks. Trademark and Licensing oversees only those associated with university branding and does not include those marks managed through the Office of Technology Transfer.

In addition to the marks listed above, any indicia adopted hereafter and used or approved for use by U of I shall be subject to the policies and procedures of Trademark & Licensing. Any derivations of the U of I marks which would cause consumers to erroneously believe that the product originated from or was sponsored or authorized by U of I (“an implied endorsement”) shall also be covered by Trademark and Licensing policies and procedures.

In addition to trademarks, licensing policies extend to the commercial use of university-owned copyrighted materials connected with the university's brand, including university images, the U of I fight song and recordings of music performed by the Vandal Marching Band.

In order to comply with and assure protection under federal, state and international trademark laws, the U of I is required to monitor and control all uses of its trademarks. Unauthorized use of U of I trademarks is subject to civil and criminal penalties. U of I reserves the right to take appropriate action when confronted with unauthorized use of its trademarks. Such actions may include seeking: temporary or permanent injunctions against the trademark infringement, unfair competition, false designation of origin, or false advertising; seizure of the goods; destruction of the infringing articles; monetary awards for actual and/or enhanced damages and other legal remedies.

U of I must control and monitor the use of its trademarks or risk losing its rights to them as unique U of I identifiers. U of I has a compelling interest in controlling the use of its trademarks for other reasons as well. These include, but are not limited to the following:

• Protecting the U of I name and ensuring that its use is compatible with U of I's brand.
• Assuring that all products or services that bear U of I trademarks are of high quality and are used only in connection with products and services with which U of I has chosen to be identified;
• Preventing misleading or inaccurate representations of U of I's relationship to other entities or activities, and preventing others from taking advantage of the goodwill U of I has developed and which is symbolized by its trademarks; and
• Assuring that the products and services bearing U of I's trademarks protect the integrity and reputation of the institution, maintain and build upon the goodwill of the institution and promote support for and increase awareness of the institution, its mission and goals.

The use of U of I's trademarks extends through all facets of U of I. Therefore, Trademarks and Licensing is overseen by University Communications & Marketing (UCM), a unit that maintains a university-wide perspective. Trademark and Licensing is housed within UCM and reports directly to the Executive Director of UCM. U of I has contracted with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) to enhance U of I's trademark licensing and promotion efforts. The CLC Consortium consists of more than 300 universities, bowl games and conferences.