CIS Logos, Trademark, and Intellectual Property Use Policy

 

I. Introduction

This Policy specifies when and how Center for Internet Security Inc.’s (CIS) logos, trademarks and intellectual property (IP) may be used. Except for the specific uses described and allowed under this Policy, all uses are hereby prohibited without CIS’s express written authorization. Prohibited uses include the development, adoption, or registration of names, logos, trademarks, symbols, phrases, brands, domain names or other business, product or service identifier that could be confused with any of CIS’s trademarks, logos or IP. This Policy shall apply to all persons and entities utilizing or referring to any CIS logo, trademark and/or IP, regardless of whether a contractual relationship exists between the person or entity and CIS.

Any use of the CIS trademarks, logo or IP must not disparage or infringe upon CIS or its trademarks, products or services. Use of the CIS trademarks, logo or IP must not mislead the public as to an organization's affiliation with CIS or CIS’s sponsorship or endorsement of a company and/or products or services. Absent express written authorization, CIS does not support the use of its logos, company name, product names, images or IP by other parties in marketing, promotional or advertising materials as their use may create the perception that CIS endorses or sponsors the product, service or promotion. CIS’s trademarks, service marks, trade names, and IP are valuable assets. By using a CIS trademark in whole or in part, you are acknowledging that CIS is the sole owner of the trademark and promising that you will not interfere with CIS’s rights in the trademark, including challenging CIS’s use, registration of, or application to register such trademark, alone or in combination with other words, anywhere in the world, and that you will not harm, misuse, or bring into disrepute any CIS trademark. The goodwill derived from using any part of a CIS trademark exclusively inures to the benefit of and belongs to CIS. Except for the limited right to use as expressly permitted under this Policy or other contractual agreement, no other rights of any kind are granted hereunder, by implication or otherwise.

II. Authorization to Use CIS Logos, Trademarks and IP

1. Advertising, Promotional and Sales Materials. Unless expressly agreed to in writing, only CIS and its SecureSuite Member customers and authorized resellers may use CIS logos or trademarks in advertising, promotional or sales material. Such entities may only use the CIS logos or trademarks as specified in their agreement with CIS.
2. Educational Materials. Web sites or other documents that serve only as noncommercial electronic informational concerning a CIS product or technology may use the appropriate CIS word mark, logo or IP, provided such use complies with the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license.  Unless a contractual relationship exists with CIS, a disclaimer of sponsorship affiliation or endorsement by CIS, similar to the following, shall appear on such publication and on all related materials: “(Title) is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored or otherwise approved by CIS.”

Any trademarks shall be properly attributed in the credit section giving notice of CIS’s ownership of its trademarks. Please refer to the section below titled, “Proper Trademark Notice and Attribution.”

CIS reserves the right to review any use of its trademarks, logos or IP pursuant to this license.  Upon CIS’s sole discretion, if CIS believes that an entity’s purported use violates or is not compatible with this license, CIS shall retain the right to demand that the entity remove such CIS trademarks, logos or IP without undue delay and the entity shall comply.

The CIS trademarks must be used separately from other logos or trademarks, and may not be used as part of the name for any other organization or its products or services.  An entity may be permitted to provide web access links to the CIS website for informational purposes, so long as the entity makes clear that the user is leaving the entity’s website.  Access shall be granted in such a way as to ensure a clear delineation to a reasonable user between the entity’s website and CIS’s website, and to prevent confusion on the part of a user.

CIS may modify its trademarks or this Logos, Trademark and Intellectual Property Use Policy at any time. Please check the CIS website (https://www.cisecurity.org/cis-logos-and-trademark-use-policy/) often for changes.

III. Unauthorized Use of CIS Logos, Trademarks and IP

1. Unless expressly authorized pursuant to a written agreement, CIS does not support the use of its logos, company name, product names, or images of CIS products by other parties in marketing, promotional or advertising materials as their use may create the perception that CIS endorses or sponsors the product, service or promotion.
2. No one, including a licensed customer or partner of CIS, may use a name for itself, its products or services that incorporates, or is confusingly similar to, any CIS mark. Another company's mark can be used in context with a CIS mark only to designate a relationship between CIS’s products and services and those of the other company as set forth in section II(3) above.  Unacceptable examples of such use include:
   1. CIS Scanning
   2. SecureSuite Compliance

3. Absent express written permission of CIS, no entity shall be permitted to make available for public access or download, any CIS IP, products or services.
4. No entity shall be permitted to use a CIS trademark or any other CIS-owned graphic symbol, logo or icon in a disparaging manner.
5. No entity shall be permitted to manufacture, sell or give away merchandise items bearing CIS trademarks, including symbols, logos or icons, except pursuant to express written permission from CIS.
6. No entity shall be permitted to imitate CIS’s trade dress, such as web site designs, logos, or typefaces.
7. No entity shall be permitted to use or imitate a CIS slogan or tagline.
8. No entity shall be permitted to use identical or nearly identical CIS trademarks as a second level domain name.

IV. Proper Trademark Notice and Attribution

1. CIS’s Trademarks and Logos
   Always use the registered trademark and service mark symbol "®" when referring to our registered trademarks (e.g., Center for Internet Security^®). Use the unregistered trademark symbol "TM" when referring to our unregistered trademarks. You must use the proper symbol with each of our trademarks, and apply the symbols consistent with this Policy, in every copy of communication, document, packaging or other material in which our mark appears, regardless of the medium.

2.  Presentation of Trademarks
   All CIS trademarks should be used in their exact form, neither abbreviated nor combined with any other word or words.

3.  Apply the Trademark Symbols in the Correct Places
   Text: The appropriate trademark symbol must be used the first time a mark appears and in all prominent appearances of a mark.Packaging and other uses: The appropriate trademark symbol must be used every time the trademark appears.

4. Examples of Permitted Usage:
   1. Acme, Inc. is a CIS SecureSuite® Member.
   2. Acme, Inc. supports the development of the CIS Benchmarks™.
   3. Acme, Inc. recommends that its customers utilize the CIS Benchmarks™.

V. Permitted Use of the CIS SecureSuite “Membership” Logo

Who May Use This Logo? Any CIS SecureSuite Member may use this logo as set forth below.

CIS will provide all CIS SecureSuite members (each a “Member”) with the CIS SecureSuite “Membership” Logo electronically. A Member may use the CIS SecureSuite “Membership” Logo only as follows:

1. 1. A Member’s right to use the CIS SecureSuite “Membership” Logo shall begin and continue only so long as the Member’s membership remains active and in good standing with CIS;
   2. A Member’s right to use the CIS SecureSuite “Membership” Logo is limited to use on the Member's website, documents, reports and related materials and/or in the Member’s marketing materials, solely for the purpose of signifying its CIS SecureSuite membership;
   3. A Member’s right to use the CIS SecureSuite “Membership” Logo does not permit the Member to signify or imply that the Member’s product(s), system(s) or service(s) are certified or endorsed by CIS in any way; and
   4. A Member’s use of the CIS SecureSuite “Membership” Logo signifies the Member’s agreement to cooperate with CIS in monitoring the use of the CIS SecureSuite “Membership” Logo by supplying CIS with specimens of materials or links to websites that use the CIS SecureSuite “Membership” Logo for CIS’s review and approval, whenever requested by CIS from time to time.
   5. Named Consultant Members, Product Vendor Members and Services and Consulting Members shall be permitted to use the CIS SecureSuite “Membership” Logo on reports and related materials prepared for their clients.

VI. Permitted Usage of the CIS “Benchmarks Certified” Logo and Product Badges

Who May Use this Logo? Only Product Vendor Members may use this logo and badges.

The “CIS Benchmarks Certified” Logo and badges shall only be issued to Product Vendor members that are in good standing and have received CIS’s express written notice that one or more products have passed CIS Certification validation testing and are authorized to use the “CIS Benchmarks Certified” Logo and corresponding badge in any branding or marketing materials associated with any such product(s).

CIS will provide the logo and badges electronically. A Product Vendor Member may use the CIS “Benchmarks Certified” Logo and badges as follows:

1. 1. A Member’s right to use the CIS “Benchmarks Certified” Logo and badges shall begin and continue only so long as the Member’s membership remains active and in good standing with CIS;
   2. A Member’s right to use the CIS “Benchmarks Certified” Logo and badges is limited to use on the Member's website and/or in the Member’s marketing and product materials, solely for the purpose of signifying its product certification status;
   3. A Member’s right to use the CIS “Benchmarks Certified” Logo and badges does not permit the Member to signify or imply that the Member’s product(s), system(s) or service(s) are endorsed by CIS in any way; and
   4. A Member’s use of the CIS “Benchmarks Certified” Logo and badges signifies the Member’s agreement to cooperate with CIS in monitoring the use of the CIS “Benchmarks Certified” Logo and badges by supplying CIS with specimens of materials or links to websites that use the CIS “Benchmarks Certified” Logo and badges for CIS’s review and approval, whenever requested by CIS from time to time.

VII. Listing of CIS Trademarks and Service Marks

A non-exhaustive listing of CIS’s trademarks and service marks can be accessed here.