Trademark Licensing
North Carolina State University, established in 1887 in Raleigh, has become one of the leading comprehensive land-grant universities in the nation. Today the university has 10 colleges, more than 33,000 students and 8,000 faculty and staff. Through North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, the university has a presence in all 100 counties in the state and helps provide researched-based information to citizens and businesses. A National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I school with 23 teams that make up the Wolfpack, NC State is a charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Over the years, symbols, icons, traditions and trademarks have come to represent the passion of NC State’s alumni, fans, students and student athletes. In 1982, the Trademark Licensing Office was established to ensure that these marks and images are used properly.
The three primary roles of NC State’s trademark office are:
- Protect the trademarks, service marks, logos, symbols and indicia that belong to the university and that are associated with the values, purpose and traditions of NC State.
- Promote the university and its values through brand identity and public awareness.
- Create revenues to fund student scholarships, including athletic, merit, financial aid and study abroad programs.
To manage the hundreds of requests for licenses to sell NC State merchandise, the trademark office uses the Licensing Resource Group and works with its employees to approve licensees and products that bear university trademarks.
Trademark issues internal to the university from student groups or university departments are handled directly through the Trademark Licensing Office.
NC State Trademark Licensing Office is a department of Campus Enterprises.
