Overview
All manufacturers who produce goods bearing any of Yale’s trademarks must be licensed by the Yale University Licensing Program. Yale reserves the right to refuse a license to any person, business, or organization.
The terms of the license are contained in the Yale University Trademark License Agreement. The primary terms include:
- Licenses are granted for the production of specific products.
- Approved products must be identified as officially licensed.
- Licenses are non-exclusive and prohibit exports, beyond the licensed territory.
- The royalty rate is 8% on the wholesale cost of products with guaranteed annual minimums determined by product category.
- Licensees are required to pay a nonrefundable, annual advance on future royalty payments.
- Licensees are required to pay an annual administration fee of $125.
- Licensees are required to participate in the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and to adopt the FLA Code of Conduct.
- Licensees are required to provide a certificate of insurance listing Yale as an additional insured.
Anyone interested in using the Yale name or trademarks for any purpose must secure the prior approval of the Yale University Licensing Program. Requests for use of the Yale name for non-merchandise purposes should be directed to Stephanie.Schwartz@yale.edu. Sales of products bearing a Yale trademark by University departments and authorized student groups are usually exempt from the royalty charge as long as the products are for internal use, to be given away, or, if for sale to the public, are sold directly (not via a retailer) with all proceeds benefiting the department or student group. Approval for all designs using the Yale name or trademarks must be obtained in advance from the Yale University Licensing Program. Yale College students or student groups wishing to use the Yale name must comply with the Undergraduate Regulations.
A one time use license is available for those that do not seek to distribute products at retail but wish to use a mark for a “one time use” purpose. Download the application.
Please see Frequently Asked Questions for more information, and contact the Yale University Licensing Program for further assistance.
Yale Trademarks
The following are Yale’s trademarks and must be noted with the appropriate marks:
Registered trademarks (followed by ®)
- The Yale shield
- The word “YALE”
- The bulldog leaning on the Y
- The words “YALE UNIVERSITY”
- The words “YALE BULLDOGS”
- The letter “Y”
- The athletic mark (bulldog head)
Alternate application; hangtags: The use of ® or TM is not practical on some products (e.g., rings). In such cases, the University requires the manufacturer to produce a hangtag or label for each individual item that represents it as officially licensed using language that is approved by the University. Sample language appears below:
- The marks on this product are trademarks of Yale University and are used under official license.
Usage Guidelines for Yale Trademarks
- Third parties are not permitted to make or alter Yale marks.
- While Yale marks may be uniformly scaled to fit the application, they may not be distorted, stretched, or condensed.
- Marks may not be bifurcated by zippers (e.g., on sweatshirt or pockets).
- “Faded” or “distressed” marks will not be approved; “light distressed” will be considered.
- Marks may not be covered by other marks (Yale or otherwise).
- Marks may not appear on the seat of sweatpants or shorts, or on the bottom of flip flops, sneakers, or shoes.
- The athletic mark may be used only in conjunction with the slab serif font.
- “Est. 1701” or “Founded 1701” may not be used with the athletic mark or the words “Yale Bulldogs” because the date refers to the founding of the University itself and not to the athletic program.
- Use of the Yale shield is discouraged for any athletic, youth, or “leisure” items (apparel and non-apparel). Approval of its use on other items is granted on a case-by-case basis.
- The word “university” must appear in its entirety. Abbreviations such as “Yale U or “Yale Univ.” will not be approved.
- The “Yale” and “Yale University” word marks may not be used in conjunction with marks that already include the word Yale (i.e., the traditional Yale bulldog or the Yale Emblems).
- When using embroidery, it may be necessary to slightly increase the letter spacing in Yale marks. Letter forms should not overlap. Please submit samples for approval. Please note that the Yale Logo rendered in embroidery cannot be smaller than 1.5 inches wide.
- A reasonable approximation of Yale Blue is a color that falls halfway between PMS 288 and 289. For an exact color match, please contact the Licensing office to request a swatch book.
- In certain instances, marks may be outlined. Artwork must be reviewed for approval.
- THE YALE WORDMARK
- The Yale wordmark should be shown in Yale Blue or white. Other colors will generally not be permitted; however, the logo may appear as white against backgrounds of another color pending approval from the Licensing Office.
- The Yale wordmark rendered in embroidery cannot be smaller than 1.5 inches wide
Yale’s trademarks may not be used in any way that discriminates or implies discrimination against any persons or groups based on age, ancestry, belief, color, creed, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status, or in any other way that would be a violation of Yale’s anti-discrimination policies or practices.
Yale trademarks may not be used in any manner that suggests or implies Yale’s endorsement of other organizations, companies, products, services, political parties or views, or religious organizations or beliefs.
Yale trademarks may not be used in conjunction with the name or trademark(s) of any other entity without the prior written permission of that entity. If permission is granted by the Yale University Licensing Program to use both the Yale trademark and another party’s trademark in a design, the trademarks must be distinct and separate from each other, and Yale’s trademarks must not be overshadowed or diminished in any way in comparison to the other entity’s trademark. Approval of any such dual use of Yale trademarks will be limited to instances where there is a compelling institutional priority in allowing such a use.
Color Guidelines
Yale trademarks such as the Y, the Yale shield, and the Yale bulldog must appear in Yale Blue; alternatively, they may appear in white on blue items. A reasonable approximation of Yale Blue is a color that falls halfway between PMS 288 and 289. For an exact color match, please contact the Licensing Office to request a swatch book.
Word marks—Yale, Yale University, and Yale Bulldogs—enhanced with certain fashion colors on certain fashion-colored products are allowed. However, colors that clearly identify another college—e.g., light blue (Columbia), orange (Princeton) or crimson (Harvard)—may not be used on merchandise with the Yale marks. All designs and products must be submitted for final approval before going to production. An official swatch book for ink formulation and color matching will be provided to licensees upon request.
Typographic Guidelines
- Fonts may not be modified in any way without prior approval from Yale.
- If additional wording is needed in the Yale font, please submit a sketch to the Licensing Office. We will set the type for you.
- We strongly urge you to use the artwork provided on this site. If your application requires a different design, please submit a drawing. If it is approved, we will provide you with the correct typography, which you must use as provided.
Yale Artwork
Examples of Yale’s trademarks are viewable here.
Trademark License Application
Individuals, organizations, or businesses wishing to apply for a Yale trademark license should submit samples of similar products (not bearing Yale trademarks) to the Yale University Licensing Program, together with a completed License Application. The License application is available in PDF; to view and print the application, Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed. Applications are reviewed regularly.
Licensing of other Intellectual Property
All inquiries regarding the licensing of all other (i.e., patents, etc.) intellectual property shall be addressed to the Office of Cooperative Research.
Enforcement
Yale University rigorously enforces the ownership and proper use of its trademarks. The Yale University Licensing Program monitors the marketplace to ensure that only officially licensed merchandise is being sold.
Those who encounter unauthorized uses of Yale marks are encouraged to contact the Yale University Licensing Program care of Denise Castellano.
