A trademark is a form of intellectual property that identifies and distinguishes the goods and/or services of one organization from those of another. Trademarks can be distinctive words (known as word marks), designs (i.e., logos), letters, colors, sounds, or landmarks separately or in combination. Visit our Trademarks page for a list of some of UC Berkeley’s trademarks.
Yes. The University’s name and its abbreviations are considered trademarks since they identify the source of the goods and services available at or produced by the University. Thus, “University of California Berkeley,” “UC Berkeley,” and even “Berkeley” are among our trademarks. We also consider the University’s domain name, “Berkeley.edu,” to be a trademark. All University of California trademarks (those associated with UC campuses, labs, and Office of the President) belong to The Regents of the University of California. The University’s name is further protected and its use governed by California Education Code 92000
Trademarks that are associated with or refer to the University of California, Berkeley are included in our family of “global” marks. Many of these global marks, such as the University’s name and its variations, “Cal” in script, the Berkeley seal, and others have been registered in the United States and in several international territories. Additional trademarks may include names of our schools, departments, programs and/or initiatives. Examples include: “Haas School of Business,” “Leading through Innovation,” “Cal Recreational Sports,” “Students. Athletes. For Life.,” “Berkeley Law,” “The Berkeley Institute of the Environment,” “The Scholars Workstation,” “Cal Student Store,” and “Zellerbach Hall.”
It depends. In the United States, trademarks are provided “common law” rights and protection. Further, since many departments, schools, programs, and initiatives include “University of California Berkeley,” “UC Berkeley,” “Cal” in script, or the Berkeley seal, which have all been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, these trademarks are afforded the additional protections available from federal registration. All of these marks and many more have been registered in various international territories. To see a list of trademarks that have been registered in international territories, visit our Trademarks page.
If you believe the name of your department, school, program, or initiative may be exploited by others in the United States or an international territory, you may wish to apply for trademark registration. Please note that you will be required to pay for the application and any legal fees that may be associated with the registration. Registrations in the U.S. are approximately $1,000 per trademark and classification, if the registration is not opposed by an individual or company that believes they have a similar trademark. Costs for international registrations are dependent on the territories in which the registrations are sought. Feel free to contact OMBO at ombo [at] berkeley [dot] edu for advice.
Registered trademarks: We recommend you add the registration designation, “®” to the lower right of the mark. Although registration designations are not required, they are strongly recommended to denote ownership and protection from infringement.
Unregistered marks which are protected by common law: We recommend you include the trademark notice “™” to the lower right of the mark.
Visit University of California Graphic Identity Guide and Resources: Usage Guidelines for a list of campus and systemwide contacts.
Yes. Please visit UC Berkeley Trademark Use Guidelines. If you are a member of the UC Berkeley community, you may also wish to visit the University’s Identity Resources site.
Yes. The campus has many official programs and services, associated with its education, research, and public service mission, which are targeted to specific internal and external groups, so it may be necessary to create a new logo for branding and marketing purposes. We strongly recommend, however, that you consider the campus’ overall branding strategy and trademark protection efforts when you begin the development process. Please feel free to consult with OMBO at ombo [at] berkeley [dot] edu or 510.642.6344, during the beginning stages of the process. Affiliate and student organizations may be governed by specific University or UC Berkeley policies which limit or exclude use of the University’s trademarks for purposes other than identification.
No. UC Berkeley trademarks may not be altered, combined with trademarks that belong to others, or modified in any way that would diminish the integrity of the trademark. To do so, could jeopardize our rights to the trademark.
You may submit a completed Trademark Use Request Form to receive permission to use the University’s trademarks. If your request is approved, OMBO is also able to provide you with one or more versions of our registered trademarks.
Entities who wish to use the University’s trademark on merchandise produced and sold in the United States, should contact Matt Terwilliger, Assistant Athletic Director-Business Development, at mterwill [at] berkeley [dot] edu or UC Berkeley’s licensing agent, the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC). Entities who wish to request a license to use UC Berkeley’s trademarks on goods produced and resold in international territories, should contact OMBO at ombo [at] berkeley [dot] edu.
Fees/royalties are usually not assessed when UC Berkeley’s trademarks are used in connection with campus goods/services, placed on merchandise for our own use, or resold to support a campus program or initiative. OMBO will make the determination based on a number of factors, such as the number of items ordered, if the items will be gifts, for promotional use during specific events, or if resold, the proceeds must benefit the UC Berkeley department/school selling the items. We do require, however, that you use a licensed vendor to produce the goods.
Fees and/or royalties may apply for other commercial uses.
Licensed vendors agree to:
First, thank you for helping us protect UC Berkeley’s intellectual property rights. If you complete our Report a Trademark Misuse Form, we will be able to initiate an investigation to determine if our rights have been violated and, if so, begin the process to reclaim those rights.
Please contact Matt Terwilliger at mterwill [at] berkeley [dot] edu.
Yes. The University of California Office of the President policies on business cards and letterhead are available here. Faculty/staff may order business cards and letterhead from UC Printing Services. In general, students may not acquire University business cards unless there is a campus need and responsibility for appropriate use of the business card is monitored by an appropriate dean or department chair.
For broadcast media, please visit the Media Relations website.
For commercial filming or photography, please visit Real Estate Services’ website for information.
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