Brand & Compliance Guidelines

Guidelines for how licensees may reference and display the NIL Taxonomy in their products and services.

Trademark Notice

"NIL Taxonomy" and associated logos are trademarks of the NIL Taxonomy Governing Body.

Unauthorized use is prohibited.

Permitted Use

"Powered By" Attribution

Licensees in good standing may display:

Powered by NIL Taxonomy

Or with version:

Powered by NIL Taxonomy v1.0

Requirements

When using permitted attribution:

Version Required - Always include the taxonomy version
Link Recommended - Link to https://nil-taxonomy.org (opens in a new tab) where possible
No Modification - Use exact phrase, do not modify
Reasonable Prominence - Must be visible but need not be prominent

Implementation Examples

Footer:

<footer>
  <p>License classifications powered by 
     <a href="https://nil-taxonomy.org">NIL Taxonomy v1.0</a>
  </p>
</footer>

Documentation:

This platform uses the NIL Taxonomy v1.0 for license classification.
Learn more at https://nil-taxonomy.org

API Response:

{
  "license_type": "NIL-EDU",
  "athlete_id": "123",
  "_attribution": {
    "taxonomy": "NIL Taxonomy v1.0",
    "url": "https://nil-taxonomy.org"
  }
}

Prohibited Use

Do NOT Claim

🚫

Without explicit written authorization, you may NOT use:

"NIL Taxonomy Certified"
"Official NIL Taxonomy Partner"
"Certified by NIL Taxonomy"
"NIL Taxonomy Approved"
"The Official NIL Standard"

Do NOT

Modify the NIL Taxonomy name or logo
Create derivatives of the logo
Imply endorsement without authorization
Suggest you control or own the taxonomy
Register domain names containing "nil-taxonomy"

Logo Usage

Official Logos

Official logos are available upon request to authorized licensees.

Contact: brand@nil-taxonomy.org

Logo Requirements

If authorized to use the logo:

Maintain minimum clear space around logo
Do not alter colors, proportions, or elements
Do not place on busy backgrounds
Minimum size: 100px wide (digital), 1 inch (print)

Logo Formats

Available formats:

SVG (vector)
PNG (raster, transparent background)
JPG (raster, white background)

Certification Program

How to Become Certified

Organizations seeking official "Certified" or "Partner" status must:

Demonstrate compliance with the Use License
Pass technical integration review
Execute Certification Agreement
Pay applicable fees
Maintain ongoing compliance

Contact: certification@nil-taxonomy.org

Certified Partner Benefits

Use of "NIL Taxonomy Certified" badge
Listing in official partner directory
Priority support access
Early access to new versions
Marketing co-promotion opportunities

Self-Declaration

Licensees may make factual statements without certification:

Allowed

✅ "Our platform integrates the NIL Taxonomy for license classification."
✅ "We use NIL Taxonomy v1.0."
✅ "License types based on NIL Taxonomy."

Not Allowed

❌ "We are NIL Taxonomy Certified."
❌ "Official NIL Taxonomy implementation."
❌ "Approved by NIL Taxonomy."

Compliance Verification

Verify Certified Partners

Check if an organization is truly certified:

Visit: https://nil-taxonomy.org/partners (opens in a new tab)
Search for organization name
Or email: verify@nil-taxonomy.org

Reporting Violations

If you observe misuse of the NIL Taxonomy brand:

Document the violation (screenshots, URLs)
Email: brand@nil-taxonomy.org
Include your contact information

We investigate all reports and take appropriate action.

Contact

Purpose	Contact
Brand Questions	brand@nil-taxonomy.org
Logo Requests	brand@nil-taxonomy.org
Certification	certification@nil-taxonomy.org
Verification	verify@nil-taxonomy.org
Violations	brand@nil-taxonomy.org

💡

These guidelines may be updated. Check https://nil-taxonomy.org/brand (opens in a new tab) for the latest version.

Versioning