Does a Harvard student group need permission to produce items bearing the Harvard name and/or insignias?

Any member of the Harvard University Community, including officially recognized student organizations, wishing to produce items bearing the Harvard name and/or insignias must review the “Guidelines for Ordering SWAG” found here.

The following guidelines apply to officially recognized student groups that want to produce and sell, or give away, items bearing their student group name, logo, and/or any other Harvard trademarks.

  • A student group may produce items, on a royalty-reduced basis, bearing the approved name of their group, their group’s logo, and, if appropriate, other Harvard trademarks under the following conditions:
    • the item is in accordance with Harvard’s use-of-name policies, including those policies’ standard of accurate representation;
    • the student group must use its officially approved name and, if desired, its logo as approved by the school with which the group is affiliated;
    • the item is being produced for the group’s own internal use, or as a gift for group members, or to be sold on a limited and one-time only basis to members and non-members of the student group as a fund-raiser to benefit the officially recognized student group.
  • Student groups may not sell products bearing any Harvard trademarks, including the name and logo of a group, directly to the public at large, via the Internet, or to retailers for resale to the public or via any other commercial channel other than as stipulated above.
  • All prospective products and artwork (including the student group name and logo or any other Harvard trademark) must be reviewed by the Harvard Trademark Program prior to production.

If all documentation required by the SWAG Guidelines is submitted in a timely manner, is in good order, and there are no use-of-name, licensing, or trademark issues, the review process can usually be completed in approximately 7-10 business days.