Trademark Infringement

Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attached to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees (provided that such authorization was within the scope of the license). Infringement may occur when one party, the "infringer," uses a trademark that is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark owned by another party in relation to products or services that are identical or similar to the products or services that the registration covers. An owner of a trademark may commence legal proceedings against a party that infringes its registration.

Departments and student organizations are encouraged to contact University Licensing Programs (ULP) if they wish to use a slogan or any graphic elements from a logo that could potentially be trademarked already. ULP will assist with the investigation of whether your slogan or logo could be infringing on another entity's trademarks.