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Trademark Use Guidelines for Affiliates

These guidelines are also available for download here.

The National Wildife Federation's unique partnership with affiliates is a valuable opportunity for all of our organizations to reach more people with our conservation messages.  For that reason, Affiliates are encouraged to utilize National Wildlife Federation's various programs and publications, along with their associated NWF trademarks or service marks.

At the same time, NWF needs to balance this expanded use of our trademarks with certain legal needs for consistency.  Inconsistent or incorrect use of trademarks may compromise the strength of NWF's marks and thus jeopardize NWF's ability to protect its name and marks from unauthorize third party uses.

Accordingly, we as Affiliates to pay special attention to the follow Trademark Use Guidelines.  Failure to adhere to these guidelines when using NWF's marks may jeopardize your permission to continue using an NWF mark.  If you have questions or need additional information regarding these guidelines, please contact Eryn Starun in NWF's Office of General Counsel at 703-438-6552 or by email at starune@nwf.org.

1) All marks should be used for the same programs, products, or services that they are used by National Wildlife Federation.  For example, Backyard Wildlife Habitat™ mark should only be used for the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program.  If you want to use the mark differently, or license it to a third party for other goods or services, do contact NWF first.  For your information, NWF often grants its licensees (e.g., cause related marketing partners) exclusive licenses to use a mark and any Affiliate uses of such marks must be consistent with those exclusive licenses.  Again, if you would like to use a mark on another product or service, or would like to authorize a separate organization to use an NWF mark, please contact Eryn Starun to discuss.

2) Use ™ or ® when the mark is prominently used for the first time in an article, internet page, or other individual work.  The ® symbol is used only when an official registration for the mark has been issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  In all other instances, please use the ™ symbol.  For easy reference, below is a list of marks Affiliates commonly use.  If you wish to use a mark that does not appear on this list, please contact Eryn Starun to discuss which symbol to use.

Backyard Wildlife Habitat™ :  When using just the words, place the ™ to the upper right after "t" in "Habitat."  When using the logo, place the ® in the bottom right hand corner of the image.

Schoolyard Habitats® :  When using just the words, place the ® in the upper right after the "s" in "Habitats."  When using the logo, place the ® in the bottom right hand corner of the image.

Magazines: National Wildlife®, Ranger Rick®, Your Big Backyard®, Wild Animal Baby®.  Use the ® in the upper right after the last letter of each of these marks.

3) Use the mark distinctively so that the words are distinguished from surrounding text.  You can do this by capitalizing, italicizing, bolding, or underlining the words or phrase.

Example:  "From ocean floors to mountaintops, Ranger Rick® magazine leads kids to wild discoveries and mind-stretching fun!"

"The Keep the Wild Alive™ campaign is dedicated to saving endangered species."

4) Use the mark only as an identifier of a particular product, service, or program.  The best way to do this is to use the mark as an adjective.  The mark should never be used as a noun, verb, or possessive.  Examples:

  • Wrong: "Creating Backyard Wildlife Habitats™ connects people with nature."
  • Right: "The Backyard Wildlife Habitat™ program connects people with nature."
  • Wrong:  Calling a workshop "Creating Schoolyard Habitats®"
  • Right: Calling a workshop "Creating Schoolyard Habitats® sites"

5) Use the mark in correct form.  Do not make singular marks plural, plural marks singular, delete words, abbreviate words, or make alterations to logos.  Examples:

  • Schoolyard Habitats® (mark is plural, not singular)
  • Backyard Wildlife Habitat™ (mark is singular, not plural)

6) Use the following trademark notice signifying that a mark is owned by the National Wildlife Federation:

"™ and ® designate trademarks of the National Wildlife Federation.  Used with permission."