RULES FOR THE USE OF THE BIG “I”
TRADEMARK
By Member Insurance Agencies
IIAA continually gets questions from its member agencies as to what conditions and
limitations are imposed on their use of the Big “I” Trademark. As a result of
these inquiries, and more importantly, in order to protect the rights the IIAA and its
members have in the Big “I” Trademark, the executive committee, and National
Board of State Directors have approved the rules set down below. These regulations must be
carefully reviewed and implemented to bring usage of the Big “I” into compliance
with these rules. If an IIAA member does not comply with these rules, the IIAA will be
forced to take measures. Each member should bring any instances of violation to our
attention or to the attention of the state association for proper action.
The Big “I” Trademark, as reproduced above, is owned by IIAA and is
registered under the Federal Trademark Act. IIAA developed this trademark for use by its
members so that the public could readily identify which insurance agencies are members of
IIAA.
IIAA authorizes its members to use its Big “I” Trademark provided the
following conditions and limitations are strictly adhered to:
1. A
member may generally use the trademark to promote the insurance activities of his agency,
provided such activities and such use are consistent with the principles of IIAA. Many
agents provide a variety of services in addition to their insurance services. Such agents
may display the Big “I” Trademark on materials that relate or refer to other
services, as well as insurance services, but may not use the Big “I” Trademark
on materials that refer uniquely to other services and which do not apply to the insurance
services. For example, assume that a particular insurance agency also operates an auto
leasing service. Use of the Big “I” Trademark on materials relating to this
leasing service would not be permissible unless insurance activities were also referred to
in the item, and the Big “I” logo was properly positioned to refer to those
insurance services.
2. In
order for IIAA to protect the integrity of the Big “I” Trademark members must
make sure that they use the trademark in exactly the same form as presented above. The use
of only a portion of the trademark or the use of the trademark in altered form is not
permitted. By adding or deleting elements from the symbol a new mark is created, diluting
the value of the Big “I” Trademark. IIAA also prefers that the trademark be
displayed in red and black.
3. In
every case where the Big “I” Trademark is displayed, the symbol of federal
registration should always be included. This is necessary so that nonmembers will know
that this is federally registered trademark that they may not use.
4. The
Big “I” Trademark may only be used in joint group advertising where both member
and nonmember agencies are listed individually in a clear, legible means and is employed
to denote which agency is a member of the association. For example, a series of asterisks
and crosses could be used beside each name to point out membership in one or both
association. (This restriction is necessary because the trademark denoted membership in
IIAA and unrestricted use in joint advertising works contrary to this connotation.) If
this rule were not adhered to, IIAA would jeopardize its rights in the future to limit the
use of the trademark to members. There is no such restriction on joint group advertising
where individual agencies are not listed. Similarly, if a local association’s
membership is not co-extensive with that of IIAA and its affiliated state association, the
local association cannot use the Big “I” to represent itself. Individual members
of the local association who are also members of IIAA may use the Big “I”
individually, and the local association may use it in advertising which lists individual
members as long as a clearly legible means is employed to denote those agencies which are
members of IIAA as described in the preceding paragraph.
5. In
cases where a member opens another office in a different state or starts another agency in
a different state, that member’s privileges will not automatically extend to its
operations in the second state. Rather, for that second office to use the Big “I”
Trademark, it must independently join the local board and the state association in the
second state. (Unless the two states involved shall agree to a different solution, and the
IIAA Executive Committee shall approve that solution.)
6. Members
must also comply with the rules promulgated by their state or local associations as to
jurisdictional and membership questions of an intrastate nature that bear on the use of
the Big “I” logo.
Your official Big “I” Symbol
The reproducible Big “I” symbols have been designed
to reproduce in two colors, PMS 186* red and black. However, should budget and application
dictate, they may also be effectively reproduced in any one color.
*PMS is a worldwide standard of color matching in the printing
and communication industry.
For additional authorized
copies of the Big “I” symbol write to:
Communications Department
Independent Insurance Agents of America
127 South Peyton Street
Alexandria, VA. 22314