Licensing Information
Wartburg College manages its brand, name, logo and images (which are trademarked) both for identity and financial reasons. Our licensing program helps us consistently apply our policy. ALL items that use the Wartburg name and/or logo must be approved by the Strategic Marketing & Communication Office prior to production.
Licensing Program Partner
Wartburg College utilizes CLC as its primary licensing agent. They assist Wartburg with the following:
- Facilitating the license application process,
- Executing the licensing agreements
- Marketing the Wartburg College brand to potential manufacturers,
- Monitoring the marketplace for unlicensed use of trademarks,
- Collecting royalty payments, and
- Conducting compliance review audits of licensed manufacturers.
Wartburg Academic Departments
Wartburg offices and departments may use Wartburg’s name, mascot and marks for:
- Advertising for the office’s or department’s services,
- Staff apparel
- Equipment and supplies,
- Merchandise,
- Signage, and
- Websites.
Wartburg Student Organizations
Only officially recognized student organizations may produce merchandise displaying both the student organization’s name/logo and the Wartburg College trademarks. All designs must be submitted and approved before production can begin. The Wartburg College marks may not be altered in any way and must adhere to the college logo standards.
How do I or my vendor get licensed?
To produce products bearing the name or marks of Wartburg College, manufacturers and vendors must be licensed with CLC/Learfield.
To begin the application process, go to www.clc.com. If you have questions, please contact Avery.Lawler@clc.com or applications@clc.com by email or call 770.956.0520.
CLC Frequently Asked Questions
Who must be licensed?
Any individual, department, office, team, organization or company that wishes to use any or all of its trademarks/logos on products or for services distributed or sold in the marketplace, whether wholesale, retail, online given away as promotion. Other activities, such as some noncommercial use of trademarks/logos, may or may not need to be licensed.
Does all use of Wartburg College’s name or images on products have to be submitted for approval?
Yes. All art designs must be submitted for approval. All licensed vendors receive a username and password for the system upon licensure. A list of licensees can be viewed below or obtained by contacting ONE CLC. To set up a new license, product, or distribution contact requests@clc.com.
How much does it cost to become licensed?
Please contact the CLC/Learfield representative above for current licensing prices.
What is the difference between the Standard License and the Restricted License?
The Standard License is used by companies that desire to produce licensed products for resale to the general public.
The Restricted License is used by companies that desire to only produce licensed products for internal consumption by Wartburg College. No products produced under this license agreement may be sold to the general public.
If the product is not going to be resold, does it have to be produced by a licensed vendor?
Yes. All items bearing Wartburg College marks must be produced by a licensed vendor whether they are for resale or not.
What does Wartburg College do if unlicensed merchandise is discovered in the marketplace?
Merchandise produced without authorization may be considered counterfeit or infringing and subject to all available legal remedies.
Review/Approval Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Wartburg Strategic Marketing & Communication Office require review for approval?
- Wartburg College is a licensed brand. The College relies on the Wartburg College Strategic Marketing & Communication Office to administer, review, and approve all materials bearing the college’s name or likeness.
- All vendors should be approved through the college’s licensing program for compliance. Requests for variations outside of that program can be made through the Strategic Marketing & Communication Office.
- Only the Strategic Marketing & Communication Office can exempt or approve vendors or grant deviations from the branding guidelines and licensing process.
When does Wartburg Strategic Marketing & Communication review and licensing approval apply?
- This applies every time an item bearing the Wartburg brand name (WARTBURG, WARTBURG COLLEGE, WARTBURG KNIGHTS) or its likeness (anything intending to represent this institution “Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa” and any affiliated program, organization, sport or activity. It’s important to note that if anything is intended to represent Wartburg (whether it says Wartburg or not) is utilizing the college’s likeness in order to sell or promote their activity or item. As such, Wartburg has a right to monitor, review, restrict and control that usage of its brand/likeness — just like any retail brand such as Nike, Under Armour, etc.
What items need to be reviewed for approval?
- Every item — marketing, merchandise, promotional, apparel, etc. — whether given away or sold to fans must be approved prior to production.
- Any and all apparel should go to Strategic Marketing & Communication for approval prior to purchase/production.
When should I ask Strategic Marketing & Communication for review/approval?
- If you follow the brand guidelines (using the college identity and likeness as presented and adhering to guidelines), you may submit your review of your material at the proof stage prior to submission to production. Approval should take less than three business days.
- If you have questions on what is allowed or should be included in a project, please reach email markcomm@wartburg.edu prior to beginning design or involving a vendor. This will help streamline the approval process at the proof stage and reduce the amount of rework or edits for compliance issues.
What should be included on an item intended to promote Wartburg?
- Requests for variations or exceptions from the above can be made through the Strategic Marketing & Communication Office.
- The use of at least one institutional logo (aka college logo or athletics logo) is preferred on all materials paid for by the college.
- At a minimum, the word “WARTBURG”, “WARTBURG COLLEGE”, “WARTBURG KNIGHTS” or “WARTBURG COLLEGE KNIGHTS” should appear on all items.
- A TM should be used at least once per surface/item. (If you use a logo, this is taken care of in the logo. If you use type a superscript TM should appear after the last word of the brand name — “WARTBURG”, “WARTBURG COLLEGE”, “WARTBURG KNIGHTS” or “WARTBURG COLLEGE KNIGHTS”.
- Exceptions can be made for items that are too small to bear the full name, or it is an item that is used/permanently attached to another item that bears the college’s name or is on Wartburg property.