Tax and Legal Resources
Trademarks and Copyrights
Table of Contents
Trademarks
Please respect Toastmasters’ intellectual property and abide by Policy and Protocol 4.0: Intellectual Property and our Brand Manual. Items that are not purchased directly from the Toastmasters Online Store or have not been approved by Toastmasters’ Brand and Trademarks teams may be considered counterfeit goods. This undermines the organization’s ability to protect our copyrights and registered trademarks and ensure that members only receive the highest quality goods. Unauthorized use of the marks or copyrighted materials is prohibited and may result in removal from good standing of an individual member, revocation of a club charter, removal of an officer at any level, or other disciplinary or legal action.
Some Districts* and their clubs* may order Toastmasters trademarked items directly from preferred vendors. Please visit their website or contact them before submitting a Trademark Use Request. If the item is available from the preferred vendor and they offer customization, order from them.
If you would like to create customized goods for your District or club, please submit a Trademark Use Request. Our teams will be more than happy to assist you in designing a product that doesn’t conflict with Toastmasters’ intellectual property and follows our Brand Manual.
*Approved Vendors:
- DigitalPrintHouse, L.L.C. (DPH) - (for Districts and their clubs in Districts 20, 79, 104, 105, 116, 122, and 127.)
- Gojo (gojonamebadges@gmail.com) - (for Districts and their clubs in Districts 17, 69, 70, 72, 73, 90, and 112.)
- Muskurado Private Limited - (for Districts and their clubs in Districts 20, 41, 51, 59, 71, 72, 73, 79, 80, 82, 87, 91, 92, 94, 95, 97, 98, 102, 104, 105, 107, 108, 109, 110, 112, 114, 115, 116, 120, 121, 124, 125, 126, 127, and 130.)
If you would like our Logistics Team to consider a vendor, please have the vendor submit the Preferred Vendor Application.
Toastmasters International has a portfolio of trademarks both in the United States and internationally:
Australia
- Toastmasters International®
- Toastmasters®
- the Toastmaster®
Austria
- Toastmasters®
Bahamas
- Toastmasters International®
Bahrain
- Toastmasters International®
Benelux
- Toastmasters®
Canada
- Speechcraft®
- Toastmasters International®
- Toastmasters®
China
- Toastmasters®
- Touma®
France
- the Toastmaster®
- Toastmasters International®
Germany
- Toastmasters®
Hong Kong
India
- Toastmasters®
Indonesia
- the Toastmaster®
- Toastmasters International®
Ireland
- Toastmasters®
- Toastmasters International®
Japan
- Toastmasters®
Jordan
- Toastmasters International®
Kuwait
- Toastmasters International®
Malaysia
- Toastmasters®
Mexico
- Toastmasters®
New Zealand
- Toastmasters International®
- Toastmasters®
Oman
- Toastmasters International®
Philippines
- Toastmasters®
- Toastmasters International®
Qatar
- Toastmasters International®
Saudi Arabia
- Toastmasters International®
Singapore
- Toastmasters®
South Africa
- Speechcraft®
Taiwan
- Toastmasters®
Thailand
- the Toastmaster®
- Toastmasters International®
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Toastmasters International®
United Kingdom
- Toastmasters®
- Toastmasters International®
United States
- Ralph C. Smedley Memorial Fund®
- World Championship of Public Speaking®
- Speechcraft®
- Toastmasters International®
- Communicate Confidently®
- Toastmasters®
- Toastmaster®
- Table Topics®
While Toastmasters International has trademark registrations in the above countries, should you wish to use it on materials, a Trademark Use Request must be submitted.
Book Requests
Often individuals inquire about using Toastmasters’ intellectual property when writing a book. Below are the guidelines to follow:
- The Toastmasters name may not appear in the title of the book or on the cover page.
- The Toastmasters International logo may not appear anywhere in the book, including the cover page, inserts, or flaps.
- The following information must be included within the book:
- This disclaimer must appear on the copyright page: “Toastmasters International® and all other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International. This book is the opinion of the author and is independent of Toastmasters International. It is not authorized by, endorsed by, sponsored by, affiliated with, or otherwise approved by Toastmasters International.”
- The following paragraph should be added [on the copyright page/as a footnote/after the citation/after the Toastmasters material being used]: “Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that builds confidence and teaches public speaking skills through a worldwide network of clubs that meet online and in person. In a supportive community or corporate environment, members prepare and deliver speeches, respond to impromptu questions, and give and receive constructive feedback. It is through this regular practice that members are empowered to meet personal and professional communication goals. Founded in 1924, the organization is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, with over 265,000 members in more than 13,800 clubs in nearly 150 countries.”
- All information obtained from Toastmasters International, or from any document it publishes, must be accurately and appropriately cited.
- The publication of confidential or proprietary information is strictly prohibited.
- Toastmasters International resources – including those at the Club, Area, Division, and District levels – may not be utilized in the promotion or announcement of the book. As such, member contact information obtained from Toastmasters and Toastmasters platforms (Toastmasters' Facebook pages, Twitter pages, District/club websites, etc.) may not be used to disseminate any information about the book.
Should you have any questions as you begin the process, please email trademarks@toastmasters.org. We will be happy to assist you.
Copyrights
There might be times when you wish to use materials, such as magazine articles, photographs, books, etc. owned by Toastmasters International. Permission is required to use such materials. Email trademarks@toastmasters.org including links of the opyrighted material(s) you would like to use and its purpose. Visit our Copyright page to cite the work properly.