Content may be rejected if it contains visible or referenced trademarks. Trademarks are legally protected and cannot appear in commercial submissions.
1. What counts as a trademark?
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of goods.
A service mark does the same for services.
Examples of trademarks in content include:
Brand names or logos
Shop signs and business names
Logos or marks on clothing
Posters or advertisements
Symbols such as the Red Cross
Distinctive designs (e.g., the three-stripe design on shoes)
2. Commercial submission rules
Content submitted for commercial purposes cannot contain visible trademarks.
Trademarked words, brand names, or business names should not be included in titles or keywords.
If a visible trademark appears in your image or footage, you must either:
Edit out the trademark before resubmitting, or
Submit the content as Editorial instead.
3. Submitting as editorial
If your work contains trademarks that cannot be removed, you may submit it as Editorial content. Editorial content has its own rules and formatting requirements.
Resources:
4. Key points to remember
Trademarks must be removed or the content submitted as editorial.
Never include brand names or trademarked terms in titles or keywords.
Editorial submissions allow the use of visible trademarks but follow specific captioning rules.