Policies

Potential Licensees: The Trademarks & Licensing office strives to create a positive working relationship between the University, our licensees and the retail markets. We promote our licensees and affiliate retailers through the Dawg-Tail retail program, participation in the Seattle Gift Show and various other programs and events.

The University of Washington currently charges an 9% royalty rate on the sale of licensed commercial products bearing its name and logos. A percentage of that royalty supports both the academic and athletic programs at the University of Washington. All manufacturers of products bearing any of the University marks must have a license before offering those goods for sale. Companies interested in becoming a Licensee of the University of Washington must submit an application to the Collegiate Licensing Company. A downloadable packet is available on their website under the downloads page.

An electronic logo artpak is also available for our licensees and approved vendors. You can also obtain our artwork through the Logos on Demand program through CLC or if a hard copy is required please contact CLC directly at (770) 956-0520.

Departmental Use: For departments wishing to use the University of Washington marks and/or logos you must send a written request to the Trademarks & Licensing office explaining the intended use and period of the event.

If the marks are to be on products used for giveaways or for internal use, you will need to use a licensed vendor to produce the item(s). A Campus Use Permit will need to be filled out and a graphic of the item incorporating our marks must be submitted prior to approval. Once approved the normal royalties will be waived. If you choose to use your own source, the standard 9% royalty will be assessed to the cost. The vendor used to produce the items will need sign a Limited Use Permit and pay in advance the royalty due.

If the items are for sale you can go through one of our licensed vendors directly. We ask that you use one of our licensees to produce any such items since they are familiar with the procedures of this office and know what is and is not allowed in the use of our marks. These vendors are also affiliated with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) which checks on compliance with a code of conduct in reference to working conditions in the factories. If you have one of your own vendors in mind to produce the intended item, the Trademarks & Licensing office will evaluate them on a case by case basis, using the same criteria required of our licensees.

Code of Conduct

The University of Washington has directed the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) to implement the following Code of Conduct requirements as an institutional policy and requirement to produce products bearing the University of Washington marks. Failure to comply with Code of Conduct requirements will result in license suspension. Each Licensee shall disclose to the University of Washington or its designee the location (including factory name, contact name, address, phone number, e-mail address, products produced, and nature of business association) of each factory used in the production of all items which bear Licensed Indicia. Such information shall be updated upon change of any factory site location. The University of Washington reserves the right to disclose this information to third parties, without restriction as to its further distribution.

Forced Labor There shall not be any use of forced labor, whether in the form of prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor or otherwise.

Child Labor No person shall be employed at an age younger than 15 (or 14 where the law of the country of manufacture allows*) or younger than the age for completing compulsory education in the country of manufacture where such age is higher than 15.

Harassment or Abuse Every employee shall be treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be subject to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse.

Nondiscrimination No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring, salary, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, or social or ethnic origin.

Health and Safety Employers shall provide a safe and healthy working environment to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work or as a result of the operation of employer facilities.

Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining Employers shall recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Wages and Benefits Employers recognize that wages are essential to meeting employees' basic needs. Employers shall pay employees, as a floor, at least the minimum wage required by local law or the prevailing industry wage, whichever is higher, and shall provide legally mandated benefits.

Hours of Work Except in extraordinary business circumstances, employees shall (i) not be required to work more than the lesser of (a) 48 hours per week and 12 hours overtime or (b) the limits on regular and overtime hours allowed by the law of the country of manufacture or, where the laws of such country do not limit the hours of work, the regular work week in such country plus 12 hours overtime and (ii) be entitled to at least one day off in every seven day period.

Overtime Compensation In addition to their compensation for regular hours of work, employees shall be compensated for overtime hours at such premium rate as is legally required in the country of manufacture or, in those countries where such laws do not exist, at a rate at least equal to their regular hourly compensation rate.

Women's Rights

1. Women workers will receive equal remuneration, including benefits, equal treatment, equal evaluation of the quality of their work, and equal opportunity to fill all positions as male workers.
2. Pregnancy tests will not be a condition of employment, nor will they be demanded of employees.
3. Workers who take maternity leave will not face dismissal nor threat of dismissal, loss of seniority or deduction of wages, and will be able to return to their former employment at the same rate of pay and benefits.
4. Workers will not be forced or pressured to use contraception.
5. Workers will not be exposed to hazards, including glues and solvents, that may endanger their safety, including their reproductive health.
6. Licensees shall provide appropriate services and accommodations to women workers in connection with pregnancy.

The University of Washington requires compliance to this code in addition to compliance with all applicable laws of the country of manufacture.

The University of Washington requires all licensees to be members of The Fair Labor Association. The Fair Labor Association requires classification under one of four applicable categories which defines the specific code monitoring programs. The Fair Labor Association will monitor for compliance Principles of Monitoring and shall apply the higher standard in cases of differences or conflicts. The University of Washington requires its licensees and contractors and, in the case of a retailer, its suppliers to comply with applicable local laws and with this Code in accordance with the Principles of Monitoring and to apply the higher standard in cases of differences or conflicts.

*All references to local law throughout this Code shall include regulations implemented in accordance with applicable local law.

Enforcement: In recent years, many colleges and universities, including the University of Washington, have begun to seek assurances that products bearing their names are produced under fair and proper working conditions. In an effort to reach this goal, we have elected to affiliate ourselves with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC). As FLA members, we require all of our licensees to participate in the FLA. Additionally we require the public disclosure of factory locations where our licensed products are manufactured. A licensee therefore cannot manufacture or distribute products bearing the logos of the University of Washington unless the company first joins the FLA.

Further, all licensees are required to cooperate with CLC and/or their agents or representatives in periodic inspections of Licensee's factory sites to ensure that Licensee is in compliance with the University of Washington's Code of Conduct.

For a brief synopsis of the workings of the FLA download this Info Sheet or go to their website which is linked above.

Guidelines

To ensure consistency in the use of the University's name and logos, departments are required to purchase emblematic merchandise from officially licensed vendors (licensees) of the University. Only officially licensed manufacturers carry appropriate product liability insurance naming Washington as an additional insure and abide by our Code of Conduct through their membership in the Fair Labor Association, (FLA).

Requests for approval usually fall into two categories:

• Requiring Royalties
• Royalty Exempt

Requiring Royalties

Items for resale: selling products (i.e. cups, apparel, pins, posters) bearing UW trademarks constitutes commercial use, including:

• Sales to individual customers
• Sales for fund-raising projects
• Sales of items carrying a commercial message, sponsor or endorsement
• Items used as a promotional marketing tool for an event
• Items given at conferences/workshops/clinics that require a registration fee and the price of the item has been included in the fee

Royalty Exempt

Items which are restricted to an internal audience and are used as a "uniform" or giveaway. Items must be bought with departmental funds.

Items such as banners and signs without endorsements, commercial message or sponsor unless a company is a corporate sponsor and trademark usage is specified in the "sponsorship" agreement.