Use of the FSC Logo & Trademarks

FSC trademarks

 

The FSC trademarks offer a guarantee that products comes from responsible sources that support the conservation of forests and wildlife and helps people lead better lives.

FSC owns three registered trademarks: 

  1. the initials "FSC" (registered number 1313895)
  2. the name "Forest Stewardship Council" (registered number 1313897)
  3. the "checkmark-and-tree" logo (top left of this page) (registered number 1313901)

To use any the FSC trademarks, you must obtain authorization.

It is essential that FSC’s credibility is maintained. FSC works to ensure that its trademarks are used correctly. If you suspect that the FSC label is being misused, please report this immediately to trademark@fscaustralia.org

 


Who may use the FSC Trademark(s)?

FSC has published standards that govern the use of its trademarks.

Certificate Holders
Other than FSC itself, the trademarks are licensed for use by organizations holding an FSC Chain of Custody Certificate. That use is monitored by the relevant certification body and is governed by the standard Requirements for the use of the FSC trademarks by Certificate Holders – FSC-STD-50-001 (V1-2). Only Certificate holders may label products using FSC trademarks and the Chain of Custody number should be appear with use of the trademarks. 

If you are a Certificate Holder and you have questions regarding the use of the FSC Logo, you need to refer back to your certifying body or utilise the label generator contained on the FSC International Website using the login provided to you.

Non-Certificate Holders - Promotional Use of FSC Trademarks
Other use is governed by FSC Requirements for the promotional use of the FSC trademarks by FSC Certificate Holders and non-certified commercial organizations – FSC-TMK-5—201 (V1-0). This standard permits the licensing of FSC trademarks to non-certified organizations.

- Please note that in Australia and New Zealand, FSC Trademark's are now REGISTERED, as such the ® symbol must be used replacing the © in accordance with Annex 1.

If a business wishes to promote the FSC status of FSC certified products, it will only be able to do so if it is authorised (licensed) by FSC, which is only possible where

  • It sources the products from an FSC certified supplier (and provides documentary evidence), and
  • It does not transform, alter repack or re-label the goods, and
  • It sells only to final consumers

once you have applied for use using the form below, an Authority number should generally be used - See Gaining Approval below.

FSC Paper
If you want to use the FSC Logo on paper of any kind to make a claim that the paper itself is FSC stock, you must use an FSC Certified Printer. While FSC-certified paper can be used by anyone, only FSC-certified printers can apply the FSC trademarks to a printed document.

Media/Publishers/Educational Use

Editorial mentions of FSC do not require FSC approval, but use of the logo does. See Gaining Approval below.

 

Gaining approval from FSC Australia

 

As detailed above, if you are:

 

  • a retailer of an FSC Certified product and wish to say so in a publication, website or the like; or 
  • if you wish to use the FSC logo in Media, as a Publisher or for Educational Use;
you must gain prior approval to do so or you will committing a trademark infringement offence.

 


APPLICATION FORM FOR RETAILERS OF FSC PRODUCTS

Requests for approval to use FSC trademarks by retailers should be emailed to trademark@fscaustralia.org. Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of the FSC status of the products they are selling (usually by providing copies of invoices) and will need to provide mock-ups of the proposed use of the FSC trademarks which complies with the standard.

 

Unauthorised use of FSC's trademarks

 

Promotion of the FSC status of an FSC-certified product without a certificate (or by retailers without authority) may constitute an infringement of our trademark.

It is important to note that when it comes to trademarks law, truth is not a defence. A business may legally buy FSC-certified products and sell them, still bearing any labels that were attached. However, promoting the availability of FSC-certified products, while true in one sense, is using our trademark, which may only be done with our authority.

Unauthorised use of our logo may also constitute an infringement of copyright.

Regardless of the size or apparent insignificance of the infringement, FSC pursues all unauthorized use of its trademarks that it becomes aware of using the relevant provisions of the Trade Marks Act 1995, the Copyright Act 1968 and the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

 

How to report a trademark misuse

 

Email trademark@fscaustralia.org with information about the misuse and include a copy (scan or photograph) of the misuse and make a note of where you found it, the date you found it, and any contact information for the source of the misuse.

Current Authorisations for promotional use

The following businesses have been authorised by FSC Australia to use FSC trademarks in off-product promotions. The accompanying authorisation number should appear when FSC trade marks are used and each new use must be approved by FSC.

Big Save NZ – FSC-AUS-0010 - Sep 2008
Bunnings - FSC-AUS-0011 - Sep 2008
Burke's Backyard - FSC-AUS-0033 - Dec 2011
Career Keys – FSC-AUS-0022 - Oct 2009
Designosaur – FSC-AUS-0008 - Aug 2008
Ecopaper P/L – FSC-AUS-0003 - Nov 2007
ecospecifier Pty Ltd - FSC-AUS-0026 - January 2011
Fletcher Building - FSC-AUS-0030 - February 2011
Forest Walks Lodge - FSC-AUS-0019 - Oct 2009
Greenlist NZ - FSC-AUS-0015 - Apr 2009
Greenpeace Australia - FSC-SECR-0140 - May 2009
Green Publishing - FSC-AUS-0006 - July 2008
John Wiley and Sons Australia - FSC-AUS-0034 - February 2012
Lyreco - FSC-AUS-0021 - Oct 2009
Mamagreen Australia - FSC-AUS-0023 - Nov 2009
Haze Media - FSC-AUS-0017
Horticultural Media Association - FSC-AUS-0030 - August 2011
Mitre 10 - FSC-AUS-0007 - July 2008
Mitre 10 NZ - FSC-AUS-0009 - Aug 2008
Océ-Australia Limited - FSC-AUS-0031 - Mar 2011
Office Max Aus - FSC-AUS-0013 - Dec 2008
Office Max New Zealand Limited - FSC-AUS-0002 - Oct 2007
Office Works - FSC-AUS-0031
Paperless Alliance - FSC-AUS-0016 - Jun 2009
Pearson Education - FSC-AUS-0012 - Nov 2008
Planet Ark - FSC-AUS-0031 - August 2011
Pyropanel Developments Pty Ltd - FSC-AUS-0027 - Feb 2011
Sensis P/L - FSC-AUS-0018 - Sep 2009
The Shape Group - FSC-AUS-0029 - Feb 2011
Steinhoff Asia Pacific Limited (T/A Freedom) - FSC-AUS-0024 -
Timber Queensland - FSC-AUS-0028 - Feb 2011
The Warehouse (NZ) - FSC-AUS-0025 - Dec 2010
Woolworths Ltd (T/A BigW) - FSC-AUS-0001 - Oct 2007
WPC Group - FSC-AUS-0014 - Mar 2009
WWF Australia - FSC-AUS-0005 - Aug 2008
Zoos Victoria - FSC-AUS-0032 - Nov 2011

FSC-AUS-0004 - Not issued
FSC-AUS-0020 - 10Thousand Trees – Issued Oct 2009 - Withdrawn Jan 2011