Policies and Governance

UB’s name and trademarks may not be used in any way that discriminates or implies discrimination against any persons or groups based on age, ancestry, belief, color, creed, disability, national origin, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status, or in any other way that would be a violation of UB’s anti-discrimination policies or practices.

Additionally, they are not permitted for use in any manner that suggests or implies UB’s endorsement of other organizations, companies, products, services, political parties or views, or religious organizations or beliefs.

Any use of an organization, business or program name in conjunction with a UB trademark is also subject to approval by UB Trademarks and Licensing.

The University at Buffalo is a member of the Collegiate Licensed Properties Association (CLPA). CLPA is a nonprofit organization made up of colleges and universities that manage their own licensing program or partner with a licensing agent for trademark management services.

Participation in the CLPA’s authentication program helps universities, licensees and retailers safeguard against counterfeit merchandise, and assures consumers that the products that they purchase are officially licensed. The program provides retailers with CLP labels and hangtags, which indicate that their products comply with the association’s guidelines.

Products that use any university mark but do not bear the CLP label may infringe on trademark laws. If products violate UB’s trademark policy or U.S. patent and trademark law, they may be confiscated and destroyed at the retailer’s expense.

To ensure full trademark compliance, please make sure products offered in your establishment carry the CLP label and are sourced from an official UB collegiate licensed vendor.

Contact UBTrademarks@buffalo.edu with any questions or concerns. 

UB complies with applicable New York State procurement legislation and related State University of New York (SUNY) policy.

• SUNY Anti-Sweatshop Policy
• SUNY Anti-Sweatshop Procedure

All licensed suppliers using the university’s trademarks must abide by all New York State, SUNY and UB standards concerning sweatshop sourcing.

As a result of the legislation and policy, bidders on state purchase contracts for UB apparel and sports equipment may be deemed by the university’s purchasing department as “not responsible” if a prospective vendor fails to certify compliance or does not provide information sufficient to determine compliance on university request.

The university may request documentation under any of the following circumstances:

• Information is available to suggest vendors/suppliers or prospective vendors/suppliers are not in compliance.
  
• A specific, credible and verifiable complaint is made about a vendor/supplier or a prospective vendor/supplier to the university.

The university may also request documentation on a random basis to assess compliance, accessibility and availability of appropriate documentation.

In addition to adhering to New York State and SUNY policies, UB holds membership in various sweatshop monitoring organizations within the apparel industry, including the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC).