Is It Okay to Use Company Logos on Your Resume? Seeking Legal and Industry Insights

Hi, please guide me on whether it is legal and acceptable in today's industry scenario to use all the logos of companies I have worked with. The requirement has arisen since I saw a resume with company logos used, which looked attractive. Expert advice is eagerly awaited.

Yes, you can, but with prior permission from the company's authorized officials. If they don't have a problem with it, then all is well and good. However, based on my experience, no company officials are likely to allow you to do so.

Regards,
Arun J.

The answer to your query is Yes and No.

Yes - You can use the logo without prior permission if it is not for commercial use or gain. Also, you can do this because the logo is in the public domain.

No - If the logo has a registered trademark against it, in which case, while it is in the public domain, its use is intellectually protected. Therefore, you can only use it with prior written permission, but as Arun has stated, such permission will not be given. The main reason for this is because the owners of the logo have worked very hard to build their brand. As they do not know anything about you, they will not risk having that brand damaged in any way.

On a personal note as an international recruiter, logos on CVs (while looking pretty) are a distraction. Any distraction is not good for the person reading the CV, who is more interested in the written content unless the CV is all about artistic creativity.

I hope the above helps.

Regards,
Harsh

In all possibility, the prospective company may also become wary, fearing that when you leave for another job, you will take their logo too! Resumes are more about what you can do, not what you have done.

Why Use Company Logos on Your Resume?

In your biodata, it is sufficient to mention the company names and the duration of your employment. Prospective employers will look at your job responsibilities, the position they want to fill, and whether your candidature suits their requirements. That is all that matters.

By adding the logos of those companies, what are you trying to convey to prospective employers? Do they not know those companies' logos? Or do you think you might get a few extra marks in the interview by adding the logos? Or are you trying to divert their attention? Don't believe in these ideas. If you are skilled, efficient, contributive, and committed, you will succeed in any interview, but not by printing the logos.

Regards,
V. Balaji

Innovative Resumes vs Traditional Resumes

It is such a great topic in the realm of "Recruitment": innovative resumes vs traditional resumes.

I am in favor of having imaginatively written resumes because they reflect creativity, an intent to steer away from the clutter, and a propensity to grab attention—each of these factors is necessary if a job seeker doesn't want their resume to go into the recruiter's black hole. However, these kinds of resumes are always difficult to scan or put into databases.

A traditional resume is good in the way that it's easier to scan, copy, put into a database, etc., and the interviewer/recruiter can focus more on the core skills of the job seeker. However, there are so many incoming resumes for any position that it is almost always boring for a recruiter to go through the same black and white typified resume.

Having said that, logos are not such a bad thing on a resume. You are actually marketing the brand of the company through the logo (no company ever minds free branding as long as it is not bad branding) and at the same time using that to make your resume look good. In addition to logos, QR codes on resumes are also emerging, and they are very relevant in the era of smartphones. Using QR codes or weaving URLs into logos shows a person's technical bent of mind, which is always a plus nowadays.

The catch lies in striking the right balance. Use everything you can to make your resume look attractive, but you should be able to drive the audience towards your core skills, your tangible achievements, and your potential. Always send an extra copy in a neat, clean black and white format without any graphics if you are using an innovative format, for the purpose of putting that into the employer's database.

Creative Writing and Company Logos

Creative writing is something welcome. However, it does not mean that you can use colorful logos of others (which were not created by you but grabbed by you). You are not authorized to build their (company's) brand image by inserting the logos.

Reasons for Looking Out

Why are you looking out? Is it because you are not comfortable with the current organization, salary package, better environment, etc.? If you were truly keen on building the current company's image, you would not be writing this biodata at all; you would have been engaged in some other job in the same organization.

You are not authorized to create their brand image. They have a different department, advertisement agency, etc. It is their KRA. Let's just do our job.

Regards,
V. Balaji

Dear Balaji,

You are talking of an era that's gone by. Today, everyone is a brand ambassador of the company. People change for several reasons, mostly not for the hygiene factors that you mentioned. Companies are aware of the immeasurable benefits that such an ex-employee brings to the table by becoming a source of referral for many activities. In addition to that, employees can also come back, so trust and mutual respect seldom ever take a beating.

Understanding Logos and Branding

And who is grabbing the logo? A logo is a graphical representation of the company's name in a distinct style for easy identification. Branding is different; a logo is just a part of it. A job seeker needs to mention the name of the company for which he/she has worked, and there is nothing wrong with using the logo for that purpose, as it is, after all, a graphical way of representing the company's name.

Regards,

Using the seal or logo of the company in personal communication is never viewed favorably by any employer. Please never resort to this action; play it safe. In research projects, when you reproduce documents of a company (which contain the company's logo), you will also require permission from the relevant party.

Regards,
S.K. Johri

Mr. Joshi, that is exactly what I am saying. The use of the company's logo in the biodata was originally suggested by someone else. I am the one who is saying it is not a welcome idea. You also seem to share the same view.

Regards,
V. Balaji

The Use of Company Logos in Biodata

I am totally against using the company's logo in biodata by someone. Whoever wants to use the company's logo in their biodata, please try to write to your employer and ask for permission. Let's see how many are permitting its use.

The logo of the company is registered under patent rights. As long as you are in the company, probably building the brand image, etc., can be talked about. Who are we to use an ex-company's logo? I view this as a straight "grabbing" of someone else's rights.

Let's not do something that is not correct in the name of being creative. If you want to be creative, create your biodata in a different format, different font, different presentation, etc., rather than using the company's logo or their trademark. Let's not call it "creative writing" and try to justify our actions.

Regards,
V. Balaji

I would also suggest that you not involve yourself in such activity. In my opinion, a logo is one's trademark, and nobody is permitted to use it for personal purposes. When you have an effective resume, including KSA (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities), they will not be concerned about where you have worked before. They will only focus on the content you have written and your expertise, which needs to be compatible with their requirements.

Regards,
Snehalata

Dear All,

Good place to comment on the legality of using logos.

Most of the respondents are of the opinion that it is entirely illegal to use logos in resumes. Although they are not grossly wrong, they are not completely right either, as this is a very general perception or understanding of the terms of use of logos.

There is no denying the fact that a logo is meant for non-free usage and therefore must meet no free usage content criteria while using it. The rationale for using logos is similar to the rationale of using a famous portrait such as that of "Monalisa (which is also protected)" while describing something such as a topic or information, etc. There are basically three types of concerns which logo owners have regarding their use:

1. Copyright Concerns

Kindly note that it is not necessary to seek formal permission from the owner in advance of using their logo, so long as the usage is fair use, does not create any impression that the logo is associated with the person who is using it in their resume or endorses that particular person, and does not create any reasonable grounds for complaint by the owner. In other words, the person using the logo should make sure that he/she has a sufficient ground for fair use rationale.

In addition to this, although most logos are meant for non-free usage, there are three conditions where logos will be copyright-free:

- If the logo was first published before 1923, it can be assumed to be in the public domain and hence copyright doesn't apply. You will be surprised to know that the logo of "Coca Cola" is under trademark but not copyrighted.
- If the logo is simply a sequence of letters or written words.
- If the logo consists entirely of simple geometric shapes or a simple combination of shapes and text.

2. Trademark Concerns

It is a normal practice to allow the usage of a trademark for the purpose of commentary, criticism, and information. In Indian law, this principle is loosely defined but well defined under the laws of other nations such as the US. A resume falls under information because it is a summary of information to prospective employers. However, before using this content, one has to ensure that it is used to identify only the entity or organization that owns the trademark.

3. Editorial Concerns

There are many editorial concerns relating to logos that one must address before using them in resumes. Such concerns include:

- No use for advertisement purposes
- Not showing the logo in a negative light
- Use only the accurate logo
- Logo size should not be less than 100-pixel resolution

Let me also make it clear that I am not trying to exhibit my knowledge about the use of logos, but I am just trying to convey that it is not grossly illegal from a technical point of view. Morally, you can always take a different notion. Even the relevance of having a creative/visual resume is the ultimate choice of a job seeker.

Regards

Interesting discussion...

On LinkedIn, and in many other places now, one sees company logos in resumes. I am pretty sure they have not taken permission since, generally, no company would like to convey that they were "bad enough" for their present/past workers to be seeking "greener pastures," however irrational it may seem.

Fair Use

This is a rather loosely worded concept. One relevant feature, however, is as follows: "The fair use or nominative use of a logo is recognized for purposes of description and identification." (Source: [URL="http://smallbusiness.chron.com/fair-use-logos-2152.html"])

In a CV, both of these purposes are being well served by the written word itself unless the CV is not mentioning/describing the company at all!

The same article as linked above talks about "No Endorsement" and "Disclaimer" aspects.

All of the above, if interpreted strictly, would make putting a logo on a CV illegal. The first point being, in my humble opinion, the clearest one.

So, while it is being regularly done, in the strictest legal sense, it perhaps should not be.