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Part Four - Use by Member Boards
I. In the Member Board Name
A. Use of REALTOR® or REALTORS®
Member Boards may use the term REALTOR® or REALTORS® in their name only when the Board has obtained written authorization to do so from the National Association. Such written authorization is routinely given in the Member Board charter and jurisdiction assignment process. However, Member Boards must seek prior approval and a revision of their authorization in the case of a name change or in the event of incorporation or dissolution of corporate status.
While an individual Member firm may not use the MARKS as part of a corporate business name, the Member Board is permitted to incorporate using the MARKS provided the Member Board has already obtained written authorization from the National Association to use the term REALTORS® in its name. The following illustrate typical uses of the term REALTORS® in the Member Board name:
Kenosha Board of REALTORS®, Inc.
North Carolina Association of REALTORS®, Inc.
Pueblo Board of REALTORS®, Inc.
Wisconsin REALTORS® Association, Inc.
Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®, Inc.
B. The REALTOR® Logo
1. Adjacent to the Member Board's Name
A Member Board may use the REALTOR® Logo adjacent to its name in connection with the title of its publications, educational courses, clinics and similar service projects produced or sponsored by the Member Board.
Where the REALTOR® Logo is used in connection with the title of its publications, educational courses, clinics and similar service projects produced or sponsored by the Member Board, the Member Board's name must also appear prominently on all materials or services, to clearly identify the Board as the source of such services.
2. Without the REALTOR® Identifier
Some Member Boards wish to use the block "R" portion of the REALTOR® Logo without an identifier (the word "REALTOR" appearing below the block "R") in connection with its name or as part of its Logo.
This is permissible only if the proposed use is submitted for prior review and receives written approval from the Legal Affairs Department of the National Association.
Where such approval is granted, the Board will be required to execute a written license agreement with the National Association expressly authorizing the proposed use of the block "R" without an identifier.
Example of approved Board logo using the block "R" without an identifier:
For further information concerning use of the block "R" without an identifier adjacent the Member Board's name or in a Member Board logo, or in some other form, contact:
Trademark Administrator
Legal Affairs Department
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
430 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611-4087
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II. General Use by Boards
As the fundamental membership organization of Members located within a specific territory, a Member Board may use the MARKS to identify itself as a constituent Member Board of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® in a number of ways. Common Member Board uses of the MARKS are:
· on the Member Board office building
· on Member Board letterhead
· on Member Board business cards
Such uses of the MARKS are, of course, subject to the policies and guidelines set forth in Parts Two and Three of this Manual.
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III. Special Uses by Member Boards
A Member Board may also use the MARKS and Logo in many other ways that require special care. These special uses are treated individually below.
A. On Printed Materials/In Advertising
A Member Board may print promotional and informational brochures for distribution to Members or the general public. The Member Board may use the MARKS on such printed materials provided that, in addition to conforming such use to the general guidelines and policies, two rules are followed:
1. The Member Board name must be prominently displayed to indicate the source of the printed material; and,
2. The terms REALTOR®, REALTORS® and REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® must always appear in all capital letters followed by the federal registration symbol "®" and the REALTOR® Logo must appear in appropriate form.
B. At Member Board Functions
Any time the MARKS are displayed at Member Board-sponsored functions, on display booths operated by Member Boards, or otherwise, the name of the Member Board must be clearly indicated. This is necessary to insure that the source of the services, the Member Board, is apparent to all viewers.
C. On Incentive Items
A Member Board may also produce incentive items for its Members which bear the MARKS. These may include such items as clothing (e.g. T-shirts), desk accessories and plaques. It is preferable that the Member Board name or Member name always appear on such items; if not, the ultimate distribution and use of such items must be carefully restricted to Members.
A Member Board may also have personalized incentives such as certificates and plaques produced for its Members. The MARKS may appear on these items provided the guidelines and policies set forth in this Manual are observed as well as the name of the Member Board.
D. On the Cover of the Board Newsletter or Magazine
General Use
The same rules apply to use of the MARKS in the title of a Member Board newsletter as apply to other printed materials: the Member Board name must be prominently displayed and the MARKS must be capitalized and followed by the symbol "®". Article V, Section 6 of the National Association Bylaws specifically authorizes use of the terms REALTOR®, REALTORS® or REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® in the title of the Member Board's official publication.
Use of the Trademark REALTOR REVIEW®
A Member Board may also become authorized to use the registered trademark REALTOR REVIEW® in the title of its newsletter or magazine provided the Member Board signs a license agreement with the National Association. The agreement requires that the trademark be preceded or followed by the Member Board name or a general description of the Member Board's jurisdiction to identify the source of the newsletter or magazine. For example:
Maine REALTOR REVIEW®
REALTOR REVIEW® Serving the REALTOR® Boards of the Metroplex
For more information on obtaining a license to use the trademark REALTOR REVIEW®, contact the Trademark Protection Coordinator at the National Association's Chicago office (see page 33 for address).
E. In Connection with Member Board Services or Activities
Article V, Section 6 of the Association's Bylaws authorizes a Member Board to use the MARKS within its jurisdiction in connection with the title of publications, educational courses, clinics and similar service projects produced or undertaken by such Member Board, but only so long as the Member Board's sponsorship or involvement is indicated in such title (e.g., "Real Estate Workshop of The Doe County Board of REALTORS®", not "REALTORS® Real Estate Workshop").
F. In Connection with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
A Member Board operated Multiple Listing Service must conform to the National Association's 14-Point Multiple Listing Policy. Use of the Member Board's name or one of the MARKS as part of the MLS name requires prior written confirmation from the National Association as to such conformity. In addition, the use of the MLS service mark shown below is only available to Member Boards who have executed the "License Agreement for use of the MLS Service Mark by Member Boards."
Copies of this Agreement and information on the National Association's 14-Point Multiple Listing Policy can be obtained by contacting:
Member Experience Team
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
430 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611-4087
G. In News Releases
Member Boards often use news releases to inform the public of their activities and important news concerning the real estate industry. Following are guidelines for use of the MARKS in news releases.
This section refers only to news items and does not relate to advertisements or advertising copy presented for newspaper or magazine publication.
Most newspapers follow either the Associated Press ("AP") Style Book or the United Press International ("UPI") Style Book in preparing news items for publications. These style books do not call for use of full capitals or a federal registration symbol "®" even for registered marks. To avoid presenting news releases in a form which will require excessive editing, it is recommended that initial capitals only be used when those terms appear in news releases, e.g., "Realtor" and Realtors", and that the registration symbol "®" be omitted from copy submitted. But it is nevertheless critical to be sure the context of usage is proper. (See Part One for a more detailed discussion of "context.")
News releases should be submitted on letterhead or paper stock which includes at the bottom of each page the following definition of the term REALTOR®:
REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is Member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
H. In Yellow Pages Advertising
The term REALTOR® should never be used as a subject heading in a "Yellow Pages" phone directory since such usage is tantamount to suggesting that the term REALTOR® identifies a vocation or line of service rather than membership in the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Under the general heading "Real Estate", however, a Member Board may arrange for a Member Board heading under which the names of Members may be listed. Such headings should include the full name of the Member Board together with its address and telephone number. It should also include where possible the definition of the term REALTOR® set forth in Section G above.
The membership composition of a Member Board generally changes more frequently than Yellow Pages directories are printed. Moreover, since each Member must be responsible for the cost of insertion of a firm's listing under the Member Board's heading, and since participation in such a Yellow Pages ad must be voluntary, Member Boards are encouraged, if possible, to use in the directory heading a phrase such as "The following constitutes a partial list of Members of the Board as of the publication deadline for this year."
I. Internet Domain Names
A special exemption was approved by the Board of Directors for use of geographically descriptive term in connection with the term REALTOR® or REALTORS® as a part of a member board's domain name. The Board of Directors authorized member boards to use a domain name that includes the terms REALTOR® or REALTORS® and a geographically descriptive term, so long as that term is related to their assigned jurisdiction and is consistent with their assigned name.
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