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NA
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY BULLETIN #3 (Revised)
USE
OF NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS TRADEMARKS
BY
COMMERCIAL VENDORS
The general rules of use
and procedures to be followed by commercial vendors wishing to use NA trademarks
without risk of objection by NA World Services.
The policy described in this
bulletin was developed to provide specific information for vendors who
currently use or desire to use the fellowship's name, logos, trademarks
or service symbol (NA Trademarks).
Specific permission is
required
In an attempt minimize the
impact of the administration of vendor licensing, effective January31,
1998, there will be a nonrefundable annual processing fee of fifty dollars
($50.00) and an annual licensing fee of five hundred dollars ($500.00)
charged. Any licenses that expire or are requested between June 1, 1997
and December 1, 1997, will expire on January 31, 1998. Also, as of June
1, 1997, no requests to use the Trademarks by taping services will be granted.
Current licenses for taping vendors will be effective until their expiration
date.
Vendors who wish to reproduce
any of the NA trademarks on any physical items such as the design of jewelry,
wearables, specialty, or any other item may not do so unless they first
receive permission from NA World Services, Inc. (NAWS), by contacting the
WSO, the world-wide service office for the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous.
The vendor may request permission using WSO's NA Trademark Use Request
form and submit a nonrefundable annual processing fee of fifty dollars
($50.00) and an annual licensing fee of five hundred dolars ($500.00).
NA World Services has the sole exclusive and unrestricted right to grant
or deny any permission requested.
Permission from NA World
Services, Inc. does not grant access to Narcotics Anonymous events or functions.
Granting access to these functions is a decision that rests solely with
the local service committee involved. Also, this permission is not an endorsement
by the WSO of a vendor's business, business practices, or pricing policies.
NA World Services, Inc. does not grant any vendor exlusive permission in
any category.
Requirements for Permission
The requirements for a vendor
to receive permission to use the NA Fellowship trademarks are the following:
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The vendor submits a completed
Request form and samples of the items that the vendor is reuqesting permission
to us the NA Trademarks for, along with a nonrefundable processing fee
of fifty dollars ($50.00) and an annual licensing fee of five hundred dollars
($500.00).
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The vendor's specific intended
use is approved by NA World Services, Inc.. Granting of this approval is
done in the sole discretion of NA World Services, Inc.;
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The vendor agrees to follow
the General Rules of use, the Vendor Written Request Process and the Rules
of Revocation in this IP Bulletin;
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The vendor keeps its license
renewed, and records with WSO up to date on an annual basis.
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The vendor agrees to indemnify
and defend NA World Services, Inc. and the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous
against any claims made becasue of the vendor's use of any NA Trademark.
Covenant not to sue
Once the five requirements
are fulfilled, the vendor has NA World Services, Inc.'s non-exclusive limited
permission to use the NA Fellowship's trademarks listed in the response
to the vendor's NA Trademarks Use Request Form, and NA World Services,
Inc. agrees and covenants not to sue the vendor for acts that fall within
the permission granted. This permission may not be assigned and is not
transferable to any other person or company. This covenant not to sue exists
only so long as the vendor continues to adhere fully to all five requirements.
NA World Services, Inc. may revoke the covenant not to sue at any time
without notice if a vendor fails to follow any of the five requirements
or any of the General Rules for Use.
General Rules for Use
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Use of Narcotics Anonymous Trademarks
should always reflect the seriousness of NA's primary purpose and NA's
spiritual foundation of anonymity.
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Narcotics Anonymous trademarks
should not be used in any way that would serve to endorse, finance, promote,
or affiliate the NA Fellowship with any outside enterprise.
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Narcotics Anonymous trademarks
should not be used in conjunction with any law enforcement, political,
medical, or religious slogans, themes, or other related materials.
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Narcotics Anonymous trademarks
should not be used or displayed in such a manner as to possibly offend
or disrespect the sensibilities of NA as a whole.
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Narcotics Anonymous trademarks
should not be used in a manner that could draw NA into public controversy.
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If the vendor has an artist
create artwork using any of the NA trademarks, the vendor must get a document
releasing to the vendor the artist's rights to the artwork, including the
original artwork.
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The vendor is to retain ownership
of dies, cuts, or any similar item depicting any of the NA trademarks used
to develop the design of the produced item.
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The vendor acknowledges that,
based upon the direction of the NA Fellowship as given voice by its groups
through their regional delegates at the World Service Conference, NA World
Services, Inc. shall have the right to demand that the vendor terminate
its use of Narcotics Anonymous trademarks, with reasonable notice. The
vendor agrees that it will not contest NAWS' rights.
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Vendor is obliged to provide
NA World Services, Inc. with a complete written description of all items
(e.g. 14KT gold, sterling silver, 100% cotton, etc.) which are proposed
for use, and to supply NA World Services with an actual sample of the proposed
item prior to production. This description shall become the minimum quality
standard for that vendor and that item.
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The vendor will display the
appropriate federal marking next to each mark, denoting registration, as
shown in the compartment below. (Note that these are the markings used
in the United States of America. For instructions relating to other countries,
refer to NA Bulletin #7, Trademark Markings Throughout the World.)
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The vendor will display their
current NA VendorPermit issued to them by the WSO at all locations where
items bearing NA Trademarks are displayed or sold.
Vendor permission request
process
1. Vendor mails a completed
written request form and their samples along with the non refundable annual
processing fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) and an annual licensing fee of
five hundred dollars ($500.00) to NA World Services, PO Box 9999,
Van Nuys CA 91409 USA.
2. NAWS will send a written
acknowledgment of vendor's request. If the request is approved, the vendor
will be assigned a vendor ID number.
3. Any approval is valid
for one (1) year from the date of vendor number issuance.
4. For renewals, vendors
need to submit any updated or additional product descriptions and their
samples along with the nonrefundable annual processing fee of fifty dollars
($50.00) and an annual licensing fee of five hundred dollars ($500.00)
and updated address and contact information. Upon satisfactory review of
vendor's adherence to the General Rules of Use, NA World Services, Inc.
will renew the covenant not to sue for an additional year.
Rules of Revocation
NA World Services, Inc. may
revoke the non-exclusive limited license and the covenant not to sue with
respect to any vendor for violation of any of the following:
1. The vendor fails to follow
any of the General Rules for Use.
2. NA World Services, Inc.
receives complaints from NA members, groups, service boards or committees,
and finds upon examination that, in NAWS' sole discretion, said complaints
are merited.
3. Vendor fails to maintain
the quality standards outlined in its original approved product description.
4. WSO becomes aware that
another entity is operating under the vendor's approved request, without
notification to NA World Services, Inc.
In the event that the non-exclusive
limited license is revoked the vendor is required to surrender any and
all dies, cuts, designs, or any similar item depicting any of the NA trademarks
used to develop the produced item(s).
Vendor Permission Change
of Policy
NA World Services, Inc.
reserves the right at any time to change its policies with respect to Vendor
Permissions. Therefore NAWS has the right to stop extending and/or renewing
vendor permissions. If such occurs, the permission granted to vendors in
good standing will expire as of the day after the expiration date set forth
on the vendor's last Bulletin #3A Response. Vendors in good standing may
exhaust their stock of items created under the prior permission and that
were in the vendor's stock as of the expiration date date by selling the
stock for a period of six months after the expiration date. All stock still
in the vendor's inventory after the six month sell-ff period will either
be destroyed or given away by vendor.
This document is published
by NA World Services, Inc. in accordance with its duties as described in
Article V, Section 1:1 of the Fellowship Intellectual Property Trust Instrument
and Article IV, Sections 4-7 of the Trust Operational Rules, approved by
the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous as given voice by its groups through
their regional delegates at the World Service Conference on 27 April 1993,
and revised by the regional delegates at the World Service Conference on
April 30, 1997 and April 27, 1998. This bulletin is subject to revision
at any time and supersedes any previous versions. For more information,
write to the World Service Office, PO Box 9999, Van Nuys CA 91409 USA or
telephone (818) 773-9999.
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