Trademarks and Logos
For the purposes of this site a trademark, logo, or mark should be considered the same thing. We have several registeredd trademarks which are reviewed below. Registered trademark status is granted through the United Patent and Trademark Office.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office defines a trademark as "any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used, in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods. In short, a trademark is a brand name."
Indepth information about trademarks can be found on the United States Patent and Trademark Office's website.
Carnegie Mellon's Registered Trademarks
In 1989, Carnegie Mellon University registered three of its trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office:
- the university's name, "CARNEGIE MELLON";
- the CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY SEAL DESIGN; and
- the CARNEGIE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SEAL DESIGN.
In 2009, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted registered trademark status to the new Scottish terrier mascot & design.
CMU aka the Letter Mark
Central Michigan University and Carnegie Mellon University partnered and submitted an application with the United States Patent and Tradamark Office to be granted joint registered trademark status for the letter mark "CMU" in specific International Classes of Goods. The application is still under review with the USPTO.
Other Carnegie Mellon Marks - words, phrases, images, and the Tartan design
(THE) "TARTAN(S)", "CARNEGIE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY", "CARNEGIE TECH", and "MY HEART IS IN THE WORK", are used by the university but are not registered trademarks with the USPTO. . Carnegie Mellon asserts ownership over its name and any other current or future mark, logo, insignia, seal, crest, design, or symbol which has come to be associated with the university.
This lack of official registered trademark status should not give one the idea these and other CMU related marks are free to use. Written permission must be requested from the Trademark Licensing Office when the use these "marks" will be decorated on merchandise even when the intent is for internal campus consumption or to be given away. Other University officials control the use of all marks on documents, social media, endorsements, and testimonials, etc.
Carnegie Mellon has a unique Tartan originally commissioned by and created for our founder, Andrew Carnegie. The replication of this Tartan on merchandise must be approved by the Trademark Licensing Office.
Art Files
The Trademark Licensing Office will provide downloadable artfiles for our official marks. Files can only be used for mercandise -commercial or non-commercial by an active official trademark licensee of the unversity. It is anticipated sometimein 20025 this site will require the user to request a passcode which will only be provided by the Director of the Trademark Licensing Office to officially active and recognized trademark licensed suppliers.
Contact the director of the Trademark Licensing Office 412-268-3904 or marano@andrew.cmu.edu.
Questions?For questions about whether or not something is a trademark, contact the John Marano, Director of Trademark Licensing in The Trademark Licensing Office at (412) 268-3904, marano@andrew.cmu.edu or visit the trademark policy page.