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Adopt-a-School Foundation
Trademark Guidelines
Introduction
The name and trademarks of the Adopt-a-School Foundation (the
'Foundation') are valuable intellectual property assets. Trademarks
are important because they serve to identify the Foundation as the
source of certain programs. They are also rights, however, that can be
lost through misuse.
To ensure correct usage of the
Foundation’s trademarks, please refer to the guidelines for Trademark
Usage.
Why protect
trademarks?
Without trademarks, customers would not be able to distinguish different
organizations' services and programs of high quality from those of lesser
quality. For these reasons, it is important to understand the
Foundation’s trademarks and what you must do to protect them.
The owner of a valid trademark
may prevent others from using its mark for particular goods or services
and may recover monetary damages caused by another's infringement.
However, trademarks must be used properly and consistently. Otherwise the
trademark risks becoming generic, making the mark impossible to enforce
(as happened, for example, with zipper, harmonica, cellophane, yo-yo and
kerosene).
What are trademarks?
A trademark is a word, acronym, logo, logotype, name, symbol, design,
tagline, slogan or phrase that identifies a product and distinguishes it
from similar products made by competitors. Consequently, the
Foundation’s trademarks are valuable because they represent the
standards of excellence and consistent quality associated with the
Foundation’s Grants and programs.
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Trademarks can
be classified in two categories:
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Registered marks
(indicated by the ® symbol) have undergone the appropriate legal
process and are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office (trademarks may also be registered in other countries).
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Common law
(unregistered) marks (indicated by the ™ symbol) have not been
formally registered, but may still be valid and enforceable
(although registration provides additional legal rights).
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