Trademarks and Licensing manages the proper use of Northland’s (academic and athletic) name, logos, and signature marks to protect the integrity of the College’s identity, brand, and reputation.
Trademarks and Licensing protects the reputation and goodwill of Northland Community & Technical College through the control of the appearance of its name, marks, colors, brands, and all identifiable properties in the marketplace and elsewhere. The process promotes and advances Northland by keeping its name and indicia through the appropriate use of all College trademarks on and off campus.
Trademarks and Licensing Mission
- Ensure proper control and use of trademarks associated with Northland (academic and athletic);
- Establish the process of granting authorization for legitimate internal and third-party use of all Northland trademarks;
- Protect all Northland trademarks from unauthorized uses;
- Promote Northland in a consistent and uniform manner to protect Northland’s reputation, name, and image by permitting only appropriate uses by officially licensed vendors with the assurance that only quality products bear Northland’s trademarks and to protect the consumer from inferior products bearing Northland trademarks.
Trademarks and Licensing is a function of Northland’s Department of Marketing Communications and Brand Management.
Legal Use of Northand’s Name, Logos & Trademarks
All Northland entities, including departments, programs, administrative areas, athletic teams, and organizations, have a responsibility and obligation in their use of Northland’s name, logos, and trademarks, including following Minnesota State Board Policy & Procedure 5.22.1 (Part 4, Subpart E. Unauthorized Representations or Trademark Use), Brand Standards Manuals, College Brand & Trademark Use Policy & Procedure, and Purchasing Policy and Procedures.
Licensing Program
In an effort to ensure the consistency of Northland logos and wordmarks across a wide variety of product, Northland has instituted a program for licensing the use of College trademarks.
The Department of Marketing Communications and Brand Management administers the College’s program for licensing use of the Northland (academic and athletic) trademarks, trade names, symbols, and indicia. In connection with this activity, the Department processes licensing applications, agreements, maintains appropriate quality controls, and monitors compliance with trademark licenses.
What does that mean for Northland?
Any product that features the Northland name or logos, including athletic logos, needs to be ordered through a licensed vendor.
Further information about the use of the College’s trademarks or licensing may be obtained by contacting: Marketing Communications and Brand Management at (218) 793-2436; or emailing brand@northlandcollege.edu.
The logos and word marks representing Northland Community & Technical College (academic and athletic) are registered content of the College and are subject to College policies, style guides, and procedures outlined on this site.
By using any of these logos, designs, or marks, you agree to do so in accordance with Northland Policies & Procedures and Minnesota State Board Policy & Procedure 5.22.1 (Part 4, Subpart E. Unauthorized Representations or Trademark Use).
How are Northland Trademarks Protected?
All Northland (academic and athletic) names, initials, logos, symbols, indicia, insignia, trade names, service marks, and trademarks (collectively “Trademarks”), are trademarks protected by federal and state law either by federal/state trademark registrations or through common law use.
A design that could create confusion due to the similarity to Northland’s trademarks may be an infringement on College’s trademark rights. The College has delegated the responsibility for maintaining, managing, licensing, and protecting the College trademarks to the Department of Marketing Communications and Brand Management.
Graphic Trademarks
The following logos are protected marks of Northland Community and Technical College and require approval for use on promotional items, products, spaces, and merchandise:
- (Northland N monogram logo)™
- (Northland wordmark logos)™
- (Pioneers P monogram spirit logo)™
- (Pioneers Astronaut mascot spirit logo)™
- (Pioneers crest spirit logo)™
Wording Trademarks
The following descriptors are protected wording of Northland Community & Technical College and require approval for use on promotional items, products, spaces, and merchandise:
- Northland Community and Technical College™
- Northland Pioneers™
- Northland™
- We Are Go™
All other names, including “NORTHLAND” and “PIONEERS”, symbols, initials, colors, images, graphic designs, or other indicia that refer to the College are protected by United States federal and state law or through common law use. College trademarks are updated continually.
Use of our marks on promotional items, products, spaces, and merchandise should be done with thought and purpose. The use of Northland marks by any organization implies association. This section outlines how a requestor’s access to Northland trademarks is based on association with Northland Community & Technical College. All usage of Northland marks must be approved by the Department of Marketing Communications and Brand Management prior to use.
External Groups
Third-party individuals, organizations, or companies wishing to use Northland’s trademarks for non-commercial use must seek prior approval from the Department of Marketing Communications and Brand Management prior to use.
NOTE: Third-party use of Northland trademarks for resale use is strictly prohibited.
Internal Groups
Campus departments and recognized student organizations may use Northland marks on product designs and on event promotional items. All departments and organizations must follow purchasing and approval procedures.
Programs, Departments, and Athletic Teams
Only departments, divisions, teams, centers, units, and other groups and organizations officially recognized by Northland Community & Technical College are allowed to use college trademarks in conjunction with their organization’s name as outlined in the Brand Standards Manual.
Unauthorized Trademark Use
A trademark infringement is an unauthorized use or similar use of a trademark so as to cause the likelihood of confusion in the minds of the consumers as to the source.
Northland’s name and 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 Northland’s anti-discrimination policies or practices.
Additionally, they are not permitted for use in any manner that suggests or implies Northland’s endorsement of other organizations, companies, products, services, political parties or views, or religious organizations or beliefs.
Any use of an organization, business, or program name in conjunction with a Northland trademark is also subject to co-branding guidelines and approval by Northland’s Marketing Communications and Brand Management department.
Northland Community & Technical College and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities are prepared to enforce trademark infringements in order to protect the College’s assets against the possibility of dilution of its trademarks and their value.
Any products bearing Northland (academic or athletic) trademarks, images, indica or other references to Northland or Pioneers must be purchased from a licensed vendor. By using any of these logos, designs or marks, you are agreeing to do so in accordance with Northland Policies & Procedures and Minnesota State Board Policy & Procedure 5.22.1 (Part 4, Subpart E. Unauthorized Representations or Trademark Use).
Using an authorized licensed vendor is required when ordering Northland (academic or athletic) branded items. Licensed vendors are aware of our strict brand requirements, maintain high sustainability standards and keep the proper liability insurance to protect the College in case of product failure. They’re also more likely to provide competitive pricing, so don’t hesitate to ask for a discount or price match.
Northland grants licensing permission to approved vendors to use marks owned by the College. Companies wishing to become licensed vendors need to complete the Non-Exclusive Trademark License Agreement. The review process takes approximately two to four weeks.
Reporting Unauthorized Use
If you encounter any unauthorized uses of the College’s name and marks, please contact Northland Marketing Communications & Brand Management at brand@northlandcollege.edu
Signs of unlicensed merchandise can include:
- The product appears to be very poor quality.
- Northland images and logos are distorted or manipulated, sometimes in a distasteful manner.
- The product doesn’t follow College Brand Standards.
- The product discriminates or implies discrimination against any persons or groups.
- The product suggests or implies Northland’s endorsement of other organizations, companies, products, services, political parties or views, or religious organizations or beliefs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any products bearing Northland (academic or athletic) trademarks, images, indicia, or other references to Northland or Pioneers must be purchased from a licensed vendor. Click the Learn More button to see step-by-step instructions for ordering merchandise or promotional items.
The standard logo guide can be found in the Northland Brand Standards Manual. College logos and trademarks are available for download online.
New logos or variations of the College identity system are NOT permitted. One of the main goals of Northland’s rebrand is to enhance the profile of the college by having a consistent visual representation across all of our college units. Logos have been created for all programs, departments, and units and can be provided to your vendor on request.
Following brand standards are not optional. Brand standards are created to assist you in developing marketing collateral and merchandise that reinforce Northland’s image. The visual impact of any and all materials that include any of Northland’s logos or wordmarks have an influence on how people perceive the College. Consistency builds awareness and trust. By consistently using the brand guidelines, you will properly align your materials with Northland Community and Technical College’s identity.
Northland’s official fonts are from the Ginto Nord and Ginto Normal families. Because font licenses are expensive and are required for each unique user, currently, only the Marketing Communications and Brand Management department hold licenses for these fonts.
Arial should be used for everyday business applications like Word, PowerPoint, and emails so these documents appear the same for those receiving them as they do for those creating them.
Northland has a self-service page that has templates for digital letterhead, business cards, PowerPoint presentations, signage, brochures, and other items available for staff and students to utilize.
Any use of Northland’s brand must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the College Brand Standards Manual. This applies to brochures, flyers, social media posts utilizing custom graphics, and advertisements. If you are unsure about your design, please contact Marketing Communications and Brand Management. We can review and recommend changes if the design doesn’t meet guidelines.
Any printed item utilizing an outside printer must be submitted for licensing approval.