Legal Definitions - certification mark

A certification mark is a type of trademark used in commerce by a person other than its owner to identify goods or services as being of a particular type. It is used to indicate the existence of an accepted product standard or regulation and a claim that the manufacturer has verified compliance with those standards or regulations. Certification marks can be names, symbols, or devices that are used by groups or people that show compliance to a set of standards.

For example, the "UL" mark on electrical products indicates that the product has been tested and certified by Underwriters Laboratories, a third-party organization that sets safety standards for electrical products. Another example is the "Fair Trade Certified" mark, which indicates that a product was produced in accordance with certain social, environmental, and economic standards.

The owner of a certification mark is not permitted to use the mark. Instead, the mark is used by third parties to indicate that the goods or services being offered conform to the standards established by the mark's owner. The owner of a certification mark is required to monitor and control the use of the mark by others to ensure that the standards are being met. If the certification mark owner fails to strictly enforce the standards set for certification, the mark may be canceled.