If you’re using a huge high-res media logo at the top of your site, it looks like you are affiliated with them, and it is probably both trademark infringement and copyright infringement. If you are not a user of their service, their brand guidelines inform you about where they draw the line (aka what you can do to avoid a cease and desist letter).ģ.
If you use a particular service (such as Twitter) you agreed to their Terms which usually incorporate such guidelines. Many major companies have brand guidelines where they state how their logos and trademarks may be used without infringing your license. If you were quoted or mentioned in one sentence, Don’t say that you were “featured” by a media source - featured means something more than mentioned.Ģ. Use a phrase such as “as seen in” or “in the news” or “press mentions” to be clear. Makes sure that the way you use the logos does not make it seem like these brands are endorsing you. WHEN USING MEDIA LOGOS ON YOUR WEBSITE, REMEMBER:ġ. Do not be misleading. However, if you are using a small version of the logo, are only using it for the purpose of reporting where you have been featured, and you link back to their site/article, then your use is probably fair use. Logos are also protected by copyright law. Here are some examples: Twitter & YouTube. These guides have specific rules about what you can and cannot do to their logo, and may include a “safety space” that’s required to be around their logo (important if you plan to create a big graphical collection of logos). I haven’t found such information at the big media companies, but you do find such guidelines on big non-media company websites. You can check the legal portion of a company’s website to see if they have specific trademark, logo or brand usage guidelines. In some cases, you may need to put in a specific disclosure disclaiming any affiliation. One way to get permission is to make that logo linkable back to their website, thereby giving them something back. Some blogs and events even have specific “Contributor to…” or “Speaker at…” logos they use for that purpose. I’d recommend obtaining the company or event’s express permission. In that case, a customer could reasonably assume that the company or event is affiliated with you, or even employs you. When using logos for a non-media company or an event, you need to be extra careful. You can see some examples of that on these sites: “Press Mentions” on Insightly and the logos with quotes on Tim Ferris’ site. The most conservative choice is to use the media logos only in relationship to those specific media quotes or articles. If you make the media logos clickable and go to your “In the News” page on your site, it also helps to provide clarity (and is a great idea to show off your press).
I also recommend having the logos be smaller than your other logos/graphics, so it correctly shows the proportionate importance of the media trademarks versus your own trademarks. So you need to be very careful in how you use the logos.įor that reason, it is a good practice to use a phrase such as “as seen in” or some other language to specify the relationship between you and that media organization. If the logos’ placement, size or usage imply that you are affiliated with that media company, or that you are being endorsed by them, then you may be violating their trademark rights.
But you have to remember to think from the perspective of what would confuse *the public* and not what would confuse you, a sophisticated marketer/businessperson.
If you use the logos in a way that won’t confuse customers or the public, then you probably are not infringing the trademark. One fundamental principle to understand is that trademarks are not designed to protect companies. Trademarks are designed to protect customers from confusion. But there are circumstances where you can use the trademark of another company in your marketing, without illegally violating their trademark rights and subjecting yourself to a claim of infringement. Media logos are trademarks of that particular media company. HOW TRADEMARK AND COPYRIGHT LAW AFFECT HOW YOU CAN USE MEDIA LOGOS ON YOUR SITE There are two major legal issues when you use other people’s logos on your site: trademarks and copyrights. You’ve seen those “As Seen In” logo collections showcasing every media source in which a company, product, or person has been featured.īut every time I saw these collections, I put on my lawyer hat and wondered … is that legal?
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