Trademarks and Logos

What is a trademark?

A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods/services of one party from those of others.

What is federally trademarked?

Sam Houston®
Sam Houston State University®
SHSU®

University Trademarks

SH Horizontal Orange logo

Download SHSU Logos

Using University Trademarks

  • Any individual, group or agency external to the university must request permission to display the logo/trademark from Integrated Marketing Communications.
  • Any individual, group or agency external to the university that uses the logo/trademark for profit or commerce must contact athletics for licensing and use a licensed vendor.
  • When claiming rights to use a mark, a “TM” designation is placed next to the symbol or design, and the “®” next to the word or phrase.
  • The “TM” is to be used with all designated university trademarks.
  • Have questions? Contact Russell Martinez - ram073@shsu.edu 

When do I use the registered mark symbol ®?

The registered mark symbol ® should be used in connection with these marks only for trademark use (that is, when using the mark as an adjective, not as a noun, not when referring to the university itself). For example, here are some right and wrong examples:

  • Correct—SHSU® jewelry, SAM HOUSTON® educational services, Sam Houston State University® athletic apparel (the marks serve as an adjective to the generic or descriptive words that follow).
  • Incorrect—Sam Houston State University® was established in 1879, SHSU® offers the best education, Sam Houston® is located in Huntsville (here, the wording is referring to the entity itself, so that is not proper trademark usage).