DLC Logo Use Guidelines

The purpose of this page is to provide clarification about how the DesignLights™ Consortium (DLC) marks and DesignLights Consortium name should be used in all mediums. These include, but are not limited to, print advertisements, Web sites, product catalogs, and specification sheets.

DesignLights Consortium Identity Guidelines:

The DesignLights Consortium identity is a valuable asset, and like any asset with appreciable value, it must be properly used and protected. Manufacturers should be mindful of how they use the DesignLights Consortium marks in all communication and outreach materials. Ensuring that the marks are properly used protects every DesignLights Consortium partner’s investment in the program—and consumer confidence in the DesignLights Consortium brand.

Key Guidelines

• Neither the marks nor the DesignLights Consortium name may be used in any other company name, product name, service name, domain name, or Web site title.
• The marks may never be associated with products that have not been verified to meet the technical requirements of the DesignLights Consortium, or which do not appear on the DLC Solid State Lighting Qualified Product List (QPL).
• The marks may not be altered, cut apart, separated, or otherwise distorted in perspective or appearance. This includes removing the words DesignLights Consortium from the mark.
• If your company does not manufacture products listed on the DesignLights Consortium Solid State Lighting Qualified Product List but offers DesignLights Consortium qualified products, you must include the name of the manufacturer near the DesignLights Consortium mark.
• The preferred color for the DesignLights Consortium mark is black for the text and yellow for the graphic. Alternate versions reversed out to white are allowed.
• The mark may not be reproduced smaller in width than 1.25 inches for print. Lettering legibility inside the mark must be maintained on the Web.

The DesignLights Consortium name should always appear as two words – DesignLights with the D and the L capitalized and Consortium with the C capitalized. There should not be a space between Design and Lights or a dash between DesignLights and Consortium.

The trademark symbol ™ must be used the first time the word DesignLights appears within a print document or on a Web site.

When writing about DesignLights Consortium, it is correct to state that a product is “listed on the DesignLights Consortium Qualified Product List” or is a “DesignLights Consortium qualified” product. For example, it is acceptable to write either “DesignLights Consortium qualified luminaire” or “a luminaire that is listed on the DesignLights Consortium Qualified Product List.”

Additional Information:

• To ensure proper usage, ask a member of the DesignLights Consortium team to review your advertisements, Web pages, catalogs, or other marketing and outreach materials prior to publishing.
• Products which have not yet been qualified should, under no circumstances, display the DesignLights Consortium Marks. For practical purposes, this means that products applying for qualification should refrain from adding the marks to specification sheets and other marketing materials until after the product has been qualified. Submissions received with the DLC mark already on them will be held until the logo use is corrected.
• Approved logo designs are available for manufacturer use. Please contact designlights@neep.org for access to these logos.

Consequences for Violation:

DesignLights Consortium actively monitors proper use of the DesignLights Consortium name and marks. To report a trademark violation or to ask for a review of materials, please contact designlights@neep.org.

1. First offense: Upon the first discovery of a logo violation, the DesignLights Consortium will notify the manufacturer of the violation via email, and provide specific information on how to rectify the situation. The manufacturer must promptly respond to the notification from the DLC, and adhere to the commands from the DLC. The manufacturer will be given a reasonable amount of time to correct the errors.
   1. If the manufacturer fails to respond to the first notification, the DLC will send a warning letter via email dictating the deadline to rectify the issue. Failure to make the appropriate changes will result in further consequences (see below). The DLC will follow-up with the manufacturer to ensure that the error(s) has been corrected.
2. Second offense: If the manufacturer fails to address the violation within a reasonable time after receiving the warning letters, or repeats a violation a second time, the following actions will ensue:
   1. The manufacturer’s program privileges will be suspended for a period of up to 18 months. This will include a suspension of all currently qualified products, as well as providing the inability to qualify additional products during the suspension. The DLC will notify the manufacturer of the violation and consequences.
   2. If the manufacturer continues to misuse the DLC logo: the issue will be sent to the NEEP Legal Department for further legal action.