FAQs

According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, “a trademark includes any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination used, or intended to be used, in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods.” View Auburn’s trademarks and brand elements

You should have received an email approving your request with a link to licensees approved to service campus groups. If you lost it, here it is.

No. In the United States, parties are not required to register their marks to obtain protectable rights. You can establish “common law” rights in a mark based solely on use of the mark in commerce, without a registration. However, owning a federal trademark registration on the Principal Register provides a number of significant advantages over common law rights alone, including:

• A legal presumption of your ownership of the mark and your exclusive right to use the mark nationwide on or in connection with the goods/services listed in the registration (whereas a state registration only provides rights within the borders of that one state, and common law rights exist only for the specific area where the mark is used);
• Public notice of your claim of ownership of the mark;
• Listing in the USPTO’s online databases;
• The right to use the federal registration symbol “® ”;
• The ability to bring an action concerning the mark in federal court; and
• The use of the U.S. registration as a basis to obtain registration in foreign countries.(Information from uspto.gov)

Sometimes a registration in the State of Alabama will be enough to protect the mark for the intended use. For more information about federal trademark registration, including fee structure, click here.

If you are making an item yourself that will not be sold or used for commercial purposes, you do not need a license.

Look for the label! Product that has been approved and licensed by Auburn University will bear the Officially Licensed Collegiate Products label or hangtag. To ensure that you are purchasing merchandise that is AU-thentic and supports the University’s scholarship programs, look for the label before you buy. Find out more here. Report potentially unlicensed product here.

Yes, Auburn University offers a crafter’s licensing program. Our expectation is that participants are truly crafters, making products by hand and on a small scale. No apparel will be approved through the crafter’s program. For information on all Auburn licensing opportunities, click here.

In order to manufacture product using “War Eagle” or any other Auburn Trademark, the company or individual must be licensed or source product from an Auburn licensee.

Yes. Auburn provides royalty-free authorizations for individuals and families who would like to use the Auburn logo on a headstone, urn, mausoleum plaque or other memorials. Please submit your request here.

Any artist or business interested in including Auburn branding (logos, traditions, mascots, etc.) on murals on the outside of their business building (as outlined in the City of Auburn guidance on murals) must email licensing@auburn.edu before starting a project to receive authorization from the University.

Yes, for a one-time licensing fee of $25. Please fill out this form.

Auburn does not have two mascots. Auburn’s athletics teams are the Tigers and the tiger mascot’s name is Aubie. War Eagle is Auburn’s battle cry and the symbol is a live golden eagle named Aurea, or War Eagle VIII, who lives at the Auburn University Raptor Center in the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine. At the beginning of each football game, an eagle circles Jordan-Hare Stadium to the cries of “Warrrrrrrrr Eagle, Hey!” from fans. In addition to Aurea, a bald eagle named Independence, or Indy for short, also flies at games. While Auburn flies a bald eagle at times, the official War Eagle symbol is a golden eagle and only golden eagles are approved as part of officially licensed product designs.

Businesses and organizations may display Auburn artwork and photos that are framed and purchased from an officially licensed manufacturer without license or authorization. However, no artwork, murals, photography, etc. using Auburn branding, buildings, athletes, coaches, etc. may be permanently installed without authorization from Auburn University. Email licensing@auburn.edu with any questions.