Policy on the Use of Harvard Names and Insignias

Harvard by any other name would perhaps thrive as well, but some uses of Harvard's name by others may not always promote the purposes of the University. All members of the University and the institution as a whole benefit when its name is well used, and suffer when it is ill used.

The University takes a legitimate interest in the use of its name and insignia for at least three reasons:

The University and its members have a responsibility to ensure that any implied association with the University is accurate.

Attaching a Harvard name to an event, project or publication implies a close connection with the University, usually sponsorship or endorsement. For example, such forms as the "Harvard Project on..." or the "Harvard University Guide to..." should be used only when they refer to activities for which the University itself or one of its delegated authorities is accountable. Involvement by individual Harvard faculty, students or staff members is not, by itself, a sufficient basis to title an activity as "Harvard" sponsored. Rather the activity must be one for which the University takes institutional responsibility.

The University and its members have a responsibility to ensure that the activities with which it is accurately associated maintain standards consistent with its educational purposes.

In academic endeavors under the supervision and control of University departments, centers, or programs, adherence to these standards is assured through the normal processes of review. In other activities, relevant standards of quality and appropriateness should be established and maintained. Even some projects that satisfy the standards of quality may not appropriately use the University name (for example, partisan political activities or outside ventures carried on by individual faculty, students, or staff members).

The University and its members have a responsibility to protect its assets by seeking a fair share of the economic value that the use of the Harvard name produces.

"Harvard University" is one of the most widely known and respected trademarks of any kind. The commercial fruits of this fortunate reputation are largely attributable to the contributions of many generations of faculty, students and staff, and therefore should be allocated for the benefit of the University as a whole. Any use of the Harvard name that may depreciate its long-term value should be avoided.

In accord with these responsibilities, the following standards regulate the use of the Harvard name by schools, units, and individuals within the University, and their use by individuals and institutions outside the University, as authorized.

The use regulated by this policy refers to the identification, statement, or display of Harvard's name in any way that may reasonably be interpreted as implying endorsement, approval or sponsorship by the University or one of its units. Nothing in this policy is intended to discourage fair use of Harvard's name to comment on activities of the University or any of its units.

I. Standards for Schools and Other University Units

This Part contains the standards for the use of the Harvard name by the University and its Schools and units. Part II contains the standards for the use of the Harvard name by individual members of the University community.

  1. A name that refers to the University as a whole may be used to identify an activity only with the approval of officials representing the University as a whole. Specifically,
     
    1. Schools and units may themselves use, or authorize outside individuals or entities to use, the name of the University as a whole -- e.g., "Harvard," "Harvard University," "President and Fellows of Harvard College," the Veritas shield, or their equivalent -- only with the prior written approval of the Provost, except as described in subparagraph 1(b).3
       
    2. Approval under subparagraph 1(a) is not required for the following activities:
      1. Stationery, business cards, and other materials used by the Schools or other units in the ordinary course of business;
         
      2. Official publications of the University (e.g., catalogues and related materials of the University and its various Schools and units, "home pages" on the World Wide Web, and similar electronic publications issued by Schools and other units, and the Harvard Alumni Directory);
         
      3. Journals in printed or digital form published by the University or any of its Schools or units where the University, School or unit involved retains sole editorial control (e.g., the Harvard Business Review and the Harvard Educational Review); and 
         
      4. Materials prepared specifically for use in connection with courses conducted by the University (e.g., Harvard Business School Cases).
         
  2. A name that refers to individual Schools or units may be used to identify an activity only with the approval of the responsible authority of the individual School or unit and, in certain cases, the Provost. Specifically,
     
    1. A School or unit may use, and may authorize outside individuals or entities to use, its own name (e.g., "Harvard Law School") only with the approval of the responsible officer (the Dean in the case of Schools or the Provost in the case of other units), except as described in subparagraph 2(b). All activities in which outside individuals and entities are authorized to use the name of a School or unit should be reported to the Harvard Trademark Program.
       
    2. In addition to the approval required under subparagraph 2(a), prior written approval by the Provost is required for the use of the name of any School or unit by any outside individual or entity where the activity involves:
       
      1. the sale or distribution, for financial consideration, of a product or service;
         
      2. a financial payment to the University or to any of its Schools or other units; or
         
      3. a fundraising, advertising or promotional effort for any entity other than Harvard University or one or more of its Schools or other units.
         
    3. A School or unit should take due care to ensure that its activities do not use names that adversely affect other Schools or units. For example, a project conducted by a School or unit should not bear a name that is confusingly similar to a project carried on by another School or unit.
       
  3. University officials should consider the general criteria of accuracy, appropriateness, and fair value when authorizing the use of the Harvard names under any of the foregoing rules. Specifically, officials should consider the following factors:
     
    1. whether the association between the University and the activity, product, or publication is accurately represented;
       
    2. whether the activity, product, or publication, and the manner in which it is associated with Harvard's name, are appropriate to the University's educational mission; and
       
    3. whether satisfactory arrangements have been made concerning the interest (if any) to be held by the University in intellectual property and income resulting from the proposed activity.

II. Standards for Faculty, Staff and Students

This Part contains the standards for the use of the Harvard name by members of the University community acting in their individual capacities. The standards for use of the Harvard name by the University and its Schools and units are contained in Part I.

  1. Faculty members, staff, and students may use or authorize the use of the Harvard name (alone or in conjunction with the name of a specific School or unit) to identify any activity, individual, entity, or publication only with the approval of their Dean or the Provost, except as described below.
     
  2. Faculty members and staff may use the Harvard name to identify themselves (e.g., "Jane Doe, Professor of Economics, Harvard University"). In using or authorizing use of the Harvard name to identify themselves in connection with activities conducted with outside individuals and entities (e.g., authoring a book), faculty and staff members should assure that the Harvard name is used in a manner that does not imply University endorsement or responsibility for the particular activity, product, or publication involved.
     
  3. Students are permitted to use the name of a School or unit only with the approval of the responsible official of each School or unit or, in the case of the use of the name on merchandise, the Harvard Trademark Program.

III. Additional Provisions

  1. Supplemental Rules. Schools and units may adopt supplemental rules, consistent with this policy, to govern their own activities. Any such rules should be reported promptly to the Provost.
     
  2. Blanket Permissions. In appropriate cases, permission for ongoing activities requiring approval under this policy may be given by category.
     
  3. Copyright Notices. No approval is necessary to include the terms "President and Fellows of Harvard College" or "Harvard University," in a copyright notice on a work for which copyright is owned by the University. Copyright notices may include either of these terms, but should not include the names of individual Schools or units, since the University as a whole is the legal proprietor of copyright in University-owned works.
     
  4. Trademark Registration. No one may register or authorize the registration of any trade or service mark of Harvard University in the United States or any foreign country without the prior written permission of the Harvard Trademark Program. This requirement applies to both marks of the University as a whole (e.g.,"Harvard" and the Veritas shield) and marks of individual Schools and units (e.g., "Harvard Law School" and the Harvard Law School shield), whether or not the mark includes the word "Harvard" (e.g., "Veritas" and "Evening With Champions").
     
  5. Licensing for Merchandise. Any individual, School, or unit that wishes to grant or receive a license for the Harvard name for use on merchandise (such as T-shirts, mugs, calendars, and jewelry) must obtain the prior approval of the Harvard Trademark Program.
     
  6. Use of Harvard Name in Television and Films. Requests from outside entities to include references to Harvard in films, television programs, and similar programs should be referred to the Harvard News Office.
     
  7. Policy On Unauthorized Use by Third Parties. The Harvard Trademark Program and the Office of the General Counsel represent the University's interests in connection with unauthorized uses of Harvard's name by third parties, and will be guided in their actions by the standards embodied in this policy and principles of trademark law.
     
  8. Questions of Interpretation. Questions concerning the interpretation of this policy should be referred to the Trademark Program via email at trademark_program@harvard.edu or via phone at (617) 495-9513.

Footnotes

  1. This policy uses the term "name" to encompass insignias as well as names, and to refer (unless otherwise indicated) to names and insignias of both the University as a whole (e.g., "Harvard University") and its constituent parts (e.g., "Dumbarton Oaks" and "Harvard School of Public Health").
     
  2. This policy applies to Harvard University, its affiliates and subsidiaries, and to the faculty members, staff members, and students of these entities. As used in this policy, the term "unit" means any department or organization that is part of the University (or one of its affiliates or subsidiaries) but is not part of any School. Examples of "units" include the Harvard University Health Services, the Harvard Institute for International Development, and the Arnold Arboretum.
     
  3. This provision may not apply when "Harvard" is used to describe parts of Harvard College or student organizations of Harvard College or the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences whose names were approved before 1998 (e.g., "The Harvard Foundation" or "Harvard Women's Ice Hockey").
     
  4. In general, students are permitted to identify themselves in publications or other public activities with an accurate, specific affiliation (e.g. "John Doe, LL.M. candidate, Harvard Law School" or "student, Harvard College") so long as this is done in a manner that makes clear they are students and does not imply University endorsement or responsibility for any particular activity, product, or publication involved. (Interpretative note added by Office of the Provost, 5/02)

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