What is the trademark process and how is it relevant to my club?
The Trademark Licensing Office of Iowa State is used to make sure that the signs, symbols, and name of Iowa State University are being used appropriately. Clubs that wish to use any protected images and phrases that are trademarked by the university must submit a request through the appropriate channels to do so. Refer to the PDFs at the bottom of the page to determine which symbols are trademarked.
My organization wants to use a trademark! What should I do? What should I expect?
Use the trademark form in the dropdown menu in the “Trademark” section (or just use this link) to fill out the trademark request form. Some key elements to keep in mind while filling out the form:
- You are required to know every detail of your intended product before you start the trademark process. These details are:
- Which ESC logo you are placing on the product
- Where the logo will be placed
- The number of the specific product you are obtaining
- An image file of the design (including the ESC logo)
- How much each item will cost for the club to purchase
- How much the club is selling the item for (if applicable)
- The intended use for the product
- The vendor from whom you are obtaining the product
- A name and the contact information of a representative of the vendor
- You must fill out a request form for each individual product that you are obtaining with the trademarked images. For example, if your club is buying T-shirts with an Iowa State logo and sweatshirts with the same logo, you must fill out one request form for the T-shirts and another for the sweatshirts.
- You should allow 2-3 weeks for the request to be processed. Start your request as early as possible!
- There is not much flexibility within the trademark process, but you may email the VP of Communication (isu.esc.communication@gmail.com) with questions.