Trademarks and Licensing Procedures (2024)

NDSU Graphic Standards Manual

Any product bearing the logos, trademarks, word marks, or having an implied association with the North Dakota State University must be licensed with the North Dakota State University Licensing Program represented by CLC, which approves all products and designs, and ensures proper labeling. In addition, North Dakota State University seeks to insure that all products and designs submitted for licensing are safe for consumers and project the proper image of the university and the intercollegiate athletics program.

The North Dakota State University Trademark Licensing Program receives a 12 percent royalty on the wholesale cost of the licensed merchandise that is sold.The Heritage Collection requires a separate license and carries a 15 percentroyalty.Revenue generated from the sale of NDSU’s visual brand identity will be used solely to support NDSU’s athletic operations.

The most important functions of the North Dakota State University Trademark Licensing Program are to protect North Dakota State University’s legal interests in its registered trademarks and to ensure the proper use of the NDSU athletics identity. The law requires that the university actively safeguard registered trademarks from improper use in order to protect its legal ownership interest in them.

Licensing Standards and Procedures

Anything bearing North Dakota State University trademarks and logos must be approved by the North Dakota State University Trademark Licensing Program and must be produced by officially licensed vendors. No retail outlet or vendors are exempt, including sports camps, NDSU Bookstore, Team Makers, NDSUFoundation, projects sponsored by any NDSU Registered Student Organizations, and university departments. No promotional, corporate, or departmental merchandise bearing the North Dakota State University logos or trademarks is exempt. In addition, all vendors and groups must have their artwork approved prior to production.

Restrictions

No merchandise or use of North Dakota State University logos and trademarks will be approved when used in conjunction with or making reference to:

• Drugs or drug paraphernalia
• Tobacco products and usage
• Sexual conduct, imagery, or inferences
• Profanity or inappropriate insensitive language
• Gambling
• Political and religious endorsem*nt
• Any other merchandise or use of the North Dakota State University logos and trademarks judged by the North Dakota State University Trademark Licensing Program to be inappropriate, unacceptable, or inconsistent with standard licensing practices of the North Dakota State University.

Use by Student Organizations

Only club sports may use the athletic logos but must have items produced by a licensed vendor. Local licensed vendors include:

Use by University Departments

University departments should refer to the university logo for their identity and cannot use the athletic marks. For questions regarding use of the NDSU official logo, visit the NDSU logo usage website or contact Laura McDaniel at (701) 231-8330. For questions about using the NDSU athletics logos, email Troy Goergen or call (701) 231-7811.

Become a Licensed Vendor

All manufacturers must have permission to use the North Dakota State University logo and trademarks.To apply for anNDSU license, go tohttps://clc.com/home/get-licensed/.For questions, email licensing@clc.com.

Application Fees

The licensing application will now cover two license types – retail and internal. Retail licenses are for companies that want to sell products to retail outlets. Internal licenses are for companies that only distribute to campus departments or organizations with no retail sales. Both license types can cover one or multiple institutions.

• Internal Licenses:$250 non-refundableapplicationfee; no first-year administration fee
• Retail – Single Institution:$250 non-refundableapplicationfee; no first-year administrationfee
• Retail – Multiple Institutions:$500 non-refundableapplicationfee; $125 first-year administrationfeeper approved school; maximum of 25 schools

Community Connect (formerly Crafter's License)

North Dakota State has created a Community Connect license program to benefit the local craftsperson who is requesting to make products using the institution’s marks. This license is for an individual (crafter) who is handcrafting items within their home that include the collegiate marks, which will be distributed or sold direct to a consumer.

In order to maintain the Community Connect, a crafter must stay within the following parameters each year:

• $2,500 or less in sales
• 500 units sold or less

The cost for a Community Connect license is an annual fee $250 fee. Fees may be prorated based on when the application is submitted. To apply, visit login.directlicensinghub.com/clccrafters. If you have further questions about the Community Connect program or the application process, you can reach out to communityconnect@clc.com.

Graphic Standards

North Dakota State University athletics logos and word marks shall be used in accordance with the NDSU graphics standards manual.