General Brand Guidelines
No alteration, modification, or derivation of Vanderbilt logos and marks, including official spirt marks, are permitted. This includes but is not limited to the following:
- Color modifications or additions (such as changing brand colors, shading, or transparency)
- Adding additional design elements to logos and marks (such as patterns or filters)
- Structural modifications (such as disproportionate resizing or rearranging design elements)
- Creating composite marks or layering or combining logos and marks with other images, marks, logos
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) processing of logos and marks (such as using AI to generate, recreate, or redesign Vanderbilt logos or marks)
- The logos should have the proper trademark symbols (®, ™).
- The logos should not be used in association with a private business or used in a manner that might associate or imply endorsements by the University with an outside business or product without proper authorization from the University.
- The use of the University's names or logos in a manner that suggests or implies University support or endorsement of any movement, candidate for public office, or activity or program not officially sponsored by the University is not permitted.
- It is not permissible to create logos using Vanderbilt logos for a group or organization
Unacceptable Products/Services:
Vanderbilt University will not approve the use of its name or marks to promote the following products: tobacco, controlled substances, sexually oriented products, weapons, alcohol (unless sold by the University at a University event), religious products, bathroom articles, profanity or games of chance.
The University will not approve the use of its name or marks with: text or graphics that are judged to be sexually suggestive, denigrating language by any group including another College or University, items that infringe on the marks of other trademark owners on products or services, or endorsement of political parties or candidates.
The University will not license products that: do not meet minimum standards of quality and/or taste, are judged to be dangerous or carry high product liability risks.
Registering a Trademark
Obtaining a federal trademark registration is a lengthy, and potentially costly, process. On average, expect it to take at least 6 months and cost $4,000 - $8,000 per class, per mark. For a deeper dive into the process and costs, please read our Trademark Guide and Questionnaire. If you have questions, please email brandengagement@vanderbilt.edu and someone will provide guidance on the process and next steps.
Name, Image, and Likeness
- Unauthorized use, alteration, modification, and even mimicking a person’s NIL by any means, including with AI or other technology, can subject parties to civil action and penalty.
- The unauthorized use and distribution, of a person’s name, image, or likeness (NIL) is restricted by Tennessee Law.
- NIL includes a broad range of personal identifiers, even extending to a person’s voice.
Copyright
- Output from generative AI platforms is protected by copyright in only instances where a human author has created sufficient expressive elements.
- The mere use of “prompts” is not sufficient to obtain copyright protection.
- Furthermore, uploading or incorporating copyrighted images into an AI system, where the user does not own or have rights to those materials, does not automatically create a new, independently protectable work.
- Avoid uploading or using copyrighted content in AI tools unless you have clear rights or permission to do so.
- Be aware of and abide by the terms and conditions under which you are using AI platforms as well as the intellectual property rights of the data or information you wish to use.
- Do not input information into AI platforms that input any Personal Information or Confidential Information about Vanderbilt matters, employees, students, faculty, or other stakeholders into a Generative AI except when permitted by validated contract language and security controls.
- Dislcose of any use of AI tools.
The Office of Brand Marketing lives within the Division of Communications and Marketing.