The University has a Trademark and Licensing Program in place to protect and ensure proper use of Columbia University marks throughout the world. This program is operated out of the Campus Services, a part of Facilities and Operations.
Under the program, qualified vendors are granted licenses that authorize them to produce merchandise on behalf of the Schools, Departments and Student Groups of the University, including the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, as well as for sale at retail, including at the Columbia Bookstore in Lerner Hall and the Hammer Building at CUIMC.
Policies and Guidelines
Please become familiar with our policies and guidelines, including the following:
Learn more about the University's trademarks.
Follow these guidelines for use of Columbia's name and marks on merchandise.
Select from this list of licensed vendors; browse their websites and access contact information.
Read about Columbia's membership in the Fair Labor Association and Worker Rights Consortium, and about Columbia's own Code of Conduct.
If you have a question about Trademark and Licensing, start here!
About
Columbia University’s name and marks reflect Columbia’s position, since its founding in 1754, as one of the world’s most distinctive and distinguished centers for undergraduate and graduate learning and research at the highest level. The University’s Trademark and Licensing Program is in place to protect and ensure proper and appropriate use of the University’s marks throughout the world. To monitor consistency and compliance in their use, Columbia works with its Licensing Agent, Exemplar Associates.
An important part of that effort is to ensure that merchandise bearing Columbia University’s names and marks is produced and purchased through specific licensed vendors, whose qualifications have been vetted to assure, among other things, affiliation with the Fair Labor Association and compliance with the University’s code of conduct. To support these goals, Columbia is itself a member of the Fair Labor Association and a founding member of the Worker Rights Consortium.
For the distribution of Columbia emblematic products, we maintain over 100 licensed vendors, including over 20 approved promotional vendors who are permitted to produce merchandise for the Schools, Departments and Student Groups of the University, including the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. To align with the University’s Sustainability Goals and Plan 2030, we encourage our promotional vendors to provide sustainable and eco-friendly suggestions and alternatives to any University Departments or other Groups placing orders.
All merchandise produced on behalf of or representing the University or purchased with University resources, whether using Columbia names or other marks or not, must be approved by the Licensing Office before production to ensure the University's policies are upheld: vendors submit all merchandise and artwork for approval through Exemplar’s submission platform, and Licensing review is conducted within 1-2 business days.
For further information, please contact [email protected] or Daniela Elliott at (212) 853-2504, or Honey Sue Fishman at (212) 854-6862.