7.15 Patents, Trademarks and "Use of Name" Regulations

HMS Student Organization Name Guidelines

The name of your student organization should communicate the purpose of your organization and meet Harvard University’s and Harvard Medical School’s student organization name guidelines as follows:

• The use of the word “Harvard” alone in the name is not permitted. (For more details about using the Harvard name, please see guidelines from the Harvard Trademark Office in Appendix A).
• “Harvard Medical School” or “HMS” must be in the name.
• “Student” must be in the name.
• “Group,” “Organization,” “Club,” “Forum,” “Society,” “Consortium,”
• “Chapter,” or equivalent must be in the name.
• Occasionally student organizations may be affiliated with larger pan-Harvard groups, in which case “Chapter” may be used.

All communication external to Harvard Medical School must use the entire student organization name. This includes communication with any other part of Harvard University.

Please provide contact information (names, phone numbers, and email addresses) for any non-Harvard Medical School organizations with which the organization will be affiliated. This includes other Harvard student organizations and other national or international organizations.

Please see Appendix A: Trademark Policy for additional details about the use of the Harvard name and insignias.

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APPENDIX A: TRADEMARK POLICY

Harvard’s Trademark

All Harvard student organization names incorporating any of the University’s trademarks are owned by the President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard University) and are used by permission of the University. In addition, the use of any of Harvard’s shields/logos by student organizations is by permission of the University. Any use of Harvard’s names/logos by student organizations or students must comply with all relevant University policies, including the Policy on the Use of Harvard Names and Insignias.

Student Organization Guidelines

• Harvard Trademark: The Trademark Program has established the following guidelines to help student organizations ensure that they represent their association with Harvard in an appropriate and accurate manner, as is required of all members of the Harvard community under the Use-of-Name policies. Specifically, the guidelines stipulate that all student organizations must clearly and accurately identify their association with the University in print and electronic publications, on websites, and in promotional materials and related activities.
• Publications: A student organization should visibly display its affiliation with a school on the front page of any publication it is producing by stating that it is “a student-run publication at [your school’s name]” (or something along these lines). And, on its copyright page (or relevant section) the publication must also state: “The [your school’s] name and/or shield are trademarks of the President and Fellows of Harvard College and are used by permission of Harvard University.”
• Websites: As is the case with publications, a student organization should visibly display its affiliation with the school by stating that it is “a student-run organization at [your school’s name]” or “an officially recognized student-run organization of [your school’s name]” (or something similar to these). This identity tagline needs to be placed in a prominent location on the main page of the website (typically in conjunction with the student organization’s name) and in a font size comparable to other fonts being used on the website. In addition, the website’s main page should also state the following:
  • “Views expressed by student groups are independent and not reflective of the views and opinions of [your School’s name] or Harvard University as a whole.”
  • “The [your school’s] name and/or shield are trademarks of the President and Fellows of Harvard College and are used by permission of Harvard University.”

These same principles apply when a student organization is sponsoring or hosting an event; as a result, the identifying phrases should also be used on brochures, posters, publicity materials, etc.

• Promotional Materials and Related Activities: The trademark guidelines also apply to student organization promotional materials and related activities. Thus, all brochures, posters, publicity materials, etc. related to any student organization event or activity, whether taking place in the U.S. or abroad, must clearly identify the event/activity as being hosted by an officially recognized student organization from (relevant school name).
• Merchandise: Ordering apparel or other items bearing Harvard’s Trademarks.
  • Any member of the Harvard University Community, including officially recognized student organizations, that wants to produce items bearing any University trademarks (e.g., Harvard, Harvard University, Harvard College, Harvard Law School, HMS, Harvard Tennis, the VERITAS shield, all other Harvard school and house shields, etc.), including items bearing a student organization’s name and/or logo, must comply with the following guidelines: https://trademark.harvard.edu/guidelines-ordering-internal-insignia-items-swag and complete the required form before ordering such items (whether such items are for use by the student, student organization, to give away, or to sell).
  • 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-free 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 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 7-14 business days.
  • A request for permission to produce items must be submitted in writing to the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), who will contact the Harvard Trademark Program via email (trademark_program@harvard.edu). Please note that the review by the Harvard Trademark Program will take 7-14 business days. In your request, please include the contact information of the student group along with the number of items intended to be produced and trademarks (per the guidance above) intended to be used. The Trademark Program will review the request in light of applicable policies and guidelines and, if the request is approved, will provide written authorization to produce the items.
• For further information about the Harvard Trademark Program, please visit the Trademark Program’s website: https://trademark.harvard.edu/ or contact the office at trademark_program@harvard.edu.

Last updated 9/7/22