Ithaca College

Since the licensing and trademark enforcement program (link- http://ithaca.edu/licensing/) was implemented last fall as a critical component of our overall branding initiative to protect our trademark when used on merchandise, we’ve received feedback that has been helpful in further evolving the program.

This spring, the Licensing Enforcement Working Group met to discuss some of the more common themes in the feedback we received, which included the use of colors and/or logos in relation to groups affiliated with national organizations and the use of student organization logos that use terms that are protected by the policy. (The current protected terms include the following: Ithaca College, Ithaca, IC, Bomber(s), and Bomber Nation.)

The working group included representatives from a student organization, athletics, student affairs, the president’s office, the bookstore, and marketing communications. As a result of their collaborative work, the following updates to the licensing and trademark enforcement program will go into effect on June 1.

National Organizations

Recognized campus groups and organizations affiliated with a national organization may use the national organization's logos and/or colors on merchandise in conjunction with Ithaca College’s protected terms. The name or logo of the national organization must be included on the product. The College's protected terms may appear in the national organization's color scheme. If any of the College's official logos are also used on the merchandise, the College's identity standards must be applied. A licensed vendor still must be used, and all merchandise will be reviewed with the vendor prior to orders being finalized.

For example, IC Hope could use its national affiliate organization’s official color, purple, on a promotional T-shirt because the national organization’s name, Relay for Life, would be included on the shirt. However, if IC Hope wanted to use the Ithaca College logo on the shirt as well, the College's logo would only be permitted to appear in one of the approved colors as stated in the Ithaca College identity standards. See the example on the top right of this page.

Student Organization Logos

Recognized student organizations may now use their own logos in their chosen color scheme on products even if their logo includes one of the College's protected terms. However, if a product contains one or more protected terms, it must also comply with the Ithaca College licensing program. This means that the the organization must use a licensed vendor, the base color of the product must be one of the official colors and any text on the product, other than the student organization logo, must appear in block lettering.

For example, IC Voicestream could design a T-shirt using its own black and red logo, but the logo would have to appear on a shirt that is one of the official colors—navy blue, gold, gray, white, black, light pink, or tan. Any additional text on the shirt must appear in block lettering. See the example on the top right of this page.

Visual Licensing At a Glance now available

As a helpful guide, we've developed a visual Licensing at a Glance poster to help better understand the various aspects of the College's licensing and trademark enforcement program.

If you have questions about the licensing and trademark enforcement program, please contact Peter Kilcoyne in the Office of Marketing Communications, or e-mail licensing@ithaca.edu.