AAPC Brand Policy: Trademarks and Logos
General Information
Although we’d like to accommodate all the requests we receive from individuals and organizations
who want to use AAPC Brand Elements (our trademarks or logos), we are passionate
about protecting the reputation of our brand as the leader in the business side of medicine. We regularly
turn down requests to use trademarks or logos in instances where the usage implies AAPC’s endorsement
or affiliation with the individual, organization, or particular products or services. For those
that do receive approval, specific guidelines are provided in their respective agreements regarding
which Brand Elements may be used, for what purposes, and under what restrictions.
With few exceptions, our Brand Elements (trademarks or logos) should only be used when
AAPC explicitly gives written permission, and that usage is restricted to the guidelines outlined
by an authorized representative of AAPC.
Trademark Basics
What is a trademark?
A trademark is a word, name, symbol, or device (or any combination thereof) that identifies the
goods or services of a person or company and distinguishes them from the goods and services of
others. A trademark assures consumers of consistent quality with respect to those goods or services
and aids in their promotion. For AAPC, trademarks include, but are not limited to, our name (“AAPC”),
logos, and credentials (CPC®, CPC-H®, CPC-P®, CPMA®, CPCO™, and all our specialty
credentials).
Rules for Proper Usage
Things You Can Do:
- You may link to our website or individual pages within our website.
- You may reference our organization (“AAPC”) or credentials (with proper usage of ® or ™ symbols)
with proper linking to our website or attribution to our organization in your publication.
- If permission is granted, use only AAPC-approved and distributed artwork when
using AAPC’s logos.
Things You Can’t Do
- You may NOT incorporate AAPC Brand Elements into your own product names, service
names, trademarks, logos, or company names.
- You may NOT use our Brand Elements in the title of your own products or services
(e.g. “CPC Training Class”, “CPC Practice Test”, “CPC Boot Camp”). Note: Approved and certified AAPC
instructors may only use our trademarks to describe their training (e.g. “this course prepares you
for AAPC’s CPC® exam”).
- You may NOT register top-level or create second-level domain names with our Brand
Elements (e.g. cpc-preparation-course.com or cpc.yourdomain.com).
- You may NOT use our Brand Elements in any manner that implies
a relationship or affiliation with, sponsorship, or endorsement by AAPC, or that can be reasonably
interpreted to suggest editorial content has been authored by, or represents the views or opinions
of AAPC or AAPC personnel.
- You may NOT copy or imitate AAPC’s trade dress, including the look and feel of
AAPC website, publications, design properties, or AAPC brand packaging, distinctive color combinations,
typography, graphic designs, product icons, or imagery associated with AAPC.
- You may NOT display an AAPC Brand Element in a manner that is in AAPC’s sole
opinion misleading, unfair, defamatory, infringing, libelous, disparaging, obscene, or otherwise objectionable
to AAPC.
- You may NOT display an AAPC Brand Element as a prominent element on your web page,
email, or document.
- You may NOT display an AAPC Brand Element on any website that contains or displays
adult content, promotes gambling, involves the sale of tobacco or alcohol to persons less than twenty-one
years of age, or otherwise violates applicable law.
- You may NOT display an AAPC Brand Element on a site that violates any law or regulation.
- You may NOT use AAPC Brand Elements in a way that suggests a common, descriptive,
or generic meaning.
- You may NOT adopt marks, logos, slogans, or designs that are confusingly similar
to our Brand Elements.
If there is any question about usage, or requests for clarification or permission, please contact
us.