Student FAQ

Personal customization is not permitted with the University’s trademarks, unless it is done by the individual themselves, the quantity produced is low, it’s not commercialized, and no compensation is involved.

Posters and flyers advertising a student organization’s events do not need to go through a licensed vendor. The vendor may ask you to provide a letter granting permission to use the trademarks, and the trademark office can provide that on written request. Posters or flyers that have commercial sponsors should clearly show that the sponsor is sponsoring the student organization and not the University. For a convenient approved print vendor, contact Wolf Xpress in the Talley Student Union.

That depends on your ultimate goal. If it’s to commercialize the design, you would have to work through a licensed vendor and negotiate any compensation with them.

Note that any intellectual property that you use in the design may require approval through an agreement with the vendor or with the vendor’s trademark licensing agreement.

If the goal is to see if the design can be commercially successful without any concerns about making money, we suggest entering the design in the Annual Student T-shirt Design Contest by Wolfpack Outfitters. If your design wins, you may get a nice prize and be immortalized as the designer for that year’s T-shirt.

Every time you have a design for your organization that bears the University trademarks, you must submit the design to the Trademark Licensing office for approval.

You should fill out the Trademark Use Request Form again because the design may not necessarily be approved every year, depending on the current trademark usage. Policies and trademarks are subject to change and transform over time, so it’s best to fill out a form each year.

It generally takes around 3-5 business days for a design to get approved; however, you should submit your design about 2 weeks before you want to order the merchandise to ensure enough time.

The vintage logos are from a specific point in NC State history. To maintain their uniqueness and keep the University’s brand aligned with current logos, we must remain consistent. If too many different logos are released for use at once, it dilutes the brand we work so hard to maintain! We have specific licensees for the Almanac collection that are allowed to use the older logos, but they are the only ones that are granted the ability to do so.

Go to the trademarks tab and then to the Primary Spirit Marks, Word Marks, and Youth Marks pages. Those pages show the logos, word marks, common mistakes, and examples of improper use. Also, we’ll work with you once the design is submitted to make sure it’s in compliance with the University’s trademarks. For any specific questions, contact us at: trademarks@ncsu.edu

You cannot alter the Primary Spirit trademarks (the Block S and Tuffy) in any way. However, you may use the PackPups™ youth marks and add scuba gear or other accessories to those for your submitted design.

You can advertise your design on social media after they are approved for use of trademarks and fundraising. However, if they are an internal item (like team equipment) you may not advertise and sell them online to those outside of your team.

No, you cannot put the university’s logos and word marks on your resume or business cards. It would seem as if you are an entity or employee of NC State. You may use the University name in text on your resume within an educational entry.

No, you cannot use the NC State trademarks for any campaign, personal or political, even if it is for a student leadership position. It would imply that NC State endorses you, the cause, or a specific position.

You can anonymously report misuse of trademarks here: http://campusenterprises.ncsu.edu/ncstate-trademark-licensing/report-unauthorized-use/