LICENSING AND BRAND MANAGEMENT
The trademark licensing program promotes and protects the Northern State University brand and ensures the public can properly identify and associate NSU’s name and logos with officially licensed products and/or communications bearing the university’s marks.
Any vendor or crafter creating apparel and merchandise bearing Northern State University’s protected name and/or marks, whether for on-campus departments, student organizations, or for third-party vendors to sell online or in store, must be approved as an official licensee.
Protected university content, representing intellectual property and registered federal trademarks owned by Northern State University, includes names, logos, marks, nicknames, letter(s), word(s), seal, stories, websites, photography, videos, images and symbols. Any combination of these that can be associated with the University qualifies as a trademark and is protected through the licensing program.
All artwork, including apparel and merchandise for internal use, must go through the appropriate approval process before being produced. For detailed information on the Northern State University brand visit the Communications and Marketing Department homepage HERE.
Licensing Agent
NSU has contracted with Nexus Licensing Group as its primary licensing agent. Nexus assists NSU with:
- Facilitating the license application process
- Executing the licensing agreements
- Marketing the Northern State University brand to potential manufacturers
- Monitoring the marketplace for unlicensed use of trademarks
- Collecting royalty payments
- Conducting compliance review audits of licensed manufacturers
All licensees are required to remit royalty reports and payments on a quarterly basis to Nexus, who collects these payments on behalf of NSU. Licensees should consult with Nexus at 585.433.8025 or licensing@nexuslicensinggroup.com before the start of design projects to ensure the concept of each project adheres to Northern State University’s standards.
For more information on becoming a Northern State University Licensee or on the services Nexus provides, including a copy of the application and license agreement, visit nexuslicensinggroup.com.
