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——/answers · Licensing

Can I use this in a logo or trademark?

Short answer

You can use a design in your branding. You cannot register the unmodified artwork as your trademark or claim it as your original work — and because every buyer receives the same file, a mark built on an unmodified catalog design would not be distinctive enough to protect anyway.

——The details
  1. 01

    Branding use is use

    Putting a design on your sign, your van, your website header — that is use in your own business and it is allowed.

  2. 02

    Registration is different

    A trademark registration asserts that a mark is yours and distinctive. The license forbids claiming authorship of the unmodified design, and the design is non-exclusive, so registration fails on both counts.

  3. 03

    If you want a mark you can own

    Commission original work or build your mark from your own elements. Use catalog designs for the things around the mark — the flyers, the posts, the wall behind the counter.

——Common questions
What if I modify it heavily?+

Your modifications are yours. Whether a heavily modified derivative is registrable is a question for a trademark attorney; the license itself only bars registering the unmodified design.

Can I use a design as an app icon or favicon?+

Yes, as use in your business. The exclusivity point still stands — someone else may use it too.

Is this legal advice?+

No. It is what the license says. Registration questions go to an attorney.

——What this does not cover
  • —It does not grant exclusivity to any design.
  • —It does not transfer copyright or authorship.
  • —It is not legal advice on what is registrable.
↳Where this applies

Templates for everything around the mark.

Social, print, signage and decks — original designs with a plain-English license.

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