FSC International Standard

Forest Stewardship Council
FSC INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
Requirements for promotional use of the FSC trademarks by

uncertified trademark licensees
FSC-STD-50-002 V1-0 D1-0 EN
DRAFT FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION
TRADEMARK
© 2011 Forest Stewardship Council A.C. All rights reserved.
Title: Requirements for promotional use of the FSC trademarks by

uncertified trademark licensees
Document reference code: FSC-STD-50-002 V1-0 D1-0
Scope: International
Approval date: Draft for Public Consultation
Contact: FSC International Center
E-mail for comments: trademark@fsc.org
© 2011 Forest Stewardship Council, A.C. All rights reserved.
No part of this work covered by the publisher‟s copyright may be reproduced or copied in
any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, recording taping, or information retrieval systems) without the written permission
of the publisher.
The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) is an independent, not for profit, non-government
organization established to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and
economically viable management of the world's forests.
FSC‟s vision is that the world‟s forests meet the social, ecological, and economic rights and
needs of the present generation without compromising those of future generations.
FSC-STD-50-002 (V1-0 D1-0) Requirements for promotional use of the FSC trademarks by uncertified trademark licensees
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Foreword
The FSC trademarks are the primary communication tool for organizations seeking to
communicate responsible sourcing of forest products or wishing to promote good forest
management standards. FSC products are tracked and labeled according to the chain of
custody system, which enables consumers to identify them in stores and promotional
materials. It is vital that the trademarks are used correctly, and that no claims are made
which could be misleading as to the products which are certified or to product attributes
which are not within the scope of the FSC certification.
In compiling this standard, FSC strives to achieve a balance between enabling widespread
and simple use of the trademarks, and protecting the integrity and credibility of the FSC
system.
Only organizations in possession of a valid chain of custody certificate are permitted to

manufacture, package or label products with the FSC on product label. For more information
about the use of the FSC trademarks by FSC certified organizations, please see FSC-STD-
50-001 Requirements for use of the FSC trademarks by Certificate Holders.
However in certain circumstances, non-certified organizations such as retailers, brand

owners and end users may apply to become trademark licensees in order to promote the
FSC certified finished products they sell, or use within their own business activities.
Use of the FSC trademarks to promote the FSC system by non-commercial organizations
such as environmental organizations, educational establishments and the media, or who
deliver FSC certification services is also covered by this standard.
This document sets out the ground rules and graphic guidelines which apply to all those
categories of trademark users which are not required to have FSC certification, and clearly
defines the various uses and the trademark usage to which they may be entitled. FSC may
also provide guidance specific for each group of users which is to be used in conjunction
with this standard.
This standard covers the following type of trademark users:

 Organizations and individuals which are not required to have FSC certification
according to standard FSC-STD-40-004 wishing to:
o promote FSC labeled products
o advise or specify use of FSC products
o promote the use FSC products in their business or activities
o or promote FSC as a system.
 Educational and research organizations
 Media organizations
 Certification bodies and their sub-contractors
Those unsure as to which category covers their proposed use of the trademarks should refer
to their Trademark Service Provider (TSP).
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Note on use of this standard
All aspects of this standard are considered to be normative, and apply to all eligible user
groups other than FSC certificate holders, including the scope, standard effective date,
references, terms and definitions, notes, tables and annexes, unless otherwise stated (e.g.
examples).
Please send any comments or suggestions regarding this document to:
FSC International Center

– Policy and Standards Unit –
Charles-de-Gaulle Str. 5
53113 Bonn, Germany
Phone: +49-228 / 367-660
Fax: +49-228 / 367-6630
E-Mail: policy.standards@fsc.org
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Contents
A Scope
B Standard effective date
C References
D FSC normative documents replaced by this standard
E Terms and definitions
1. General requirements
2. Specific requirements for uncertified FSC trademark licensees
3. How to apply for a trademark license?
4. Graphic rules
Annex 1: Trademark registrations by country
A Scope
This International Standard shall be used as a normative document for FSC trademark use
by all eligible users who are not required to be in possession of a valid FSC certificate.
B Standard effective date
This standard becomes effective on 4 April 2011.
C References
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document.
For references without a version number, the latest edition of the referenced document
(including any amendments) applies.
FSC-STD-01-002 FSC glossary of terms
D FSC normative documents replaced by this standard
FSC-TMK-50-201 “FSC requirements for the promotional use of the FSC trademarks by
FSC certificate holders and non-certified commercial organizations (2007)” – all parts
applicable to non-certified organizations
E Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this International Standard, the terms and definitions given in FSC-STD-
01-002 FSC glossary of terms and the following apply:
Certificate: FSC certificate issued by an accredited certification body. Controlled wood (CW)
only certificates do not carry any right to use the FSC trademarks (see Organization).
Certification body (CB): A body which is appointed by the FSC AC to undertake FSC
certification audits of applicants for the FSC Certification Scheme, and the surveillance of
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certified Forest management Enterprises and Forest Product Enterprises against the
Certification Requirements.
Chain of custody (CoC): The path taken by raw materials, processed materials and
products, from the forest (and/or recycled sources) to the consumer, including all the
successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution.
Controlled wood: Wood or fiber which is identified by a company for the exclusion of
unacceptable sources, as defined in FSC-STD-40-005 Company evaluation of controlled
wood.
Finished product: Product that requires no further transformation in terms of processing or

packaging prior to its intended end use. (i.e. will not be remanufactured for the production of
other FSC certified products, repacked and relabeled).
FSC certified: A product, process or service that has been certified by an FSC accredited
certification body as being in compliance with an applicable FSC endorsed standard.
FSC label: Graphic design, consisting of the FSC logo plus other required elements for on
product uses of the FSC trademarks. FSC labels are provided to authorized users via the
label generator.
FSC Trademark License Agreement: The legal document signed by the organization
permitting it to use of the FSC trademarks (the „Licensed Material‟).
FSC trademark license code: Identification code issued to organizations that have signed
an FSC License Agreement. It is in the form FSC® X######. It is used to identify the
organization on the FSC license holder database and must accompany any use of the FSC
trademarks.
FSC trademarks: FSC has three registered trademarks: a) the FSC “checkmark-and-tree”
logo, b) the initials “FSC”, and c) the name “Forest Stewardship Council”.
Organization: Uncertified legal entity that wishes to use the FSC trademarks for promotional
purposes.
Product label: Any FSC label included in printed packaging or marking attached or applied
to a product, such as tags, stencils, heat brands, retail packaging, protective packaging or
plastic wrap. Additional promotional uses of the FSC trademark are not covered by this
definition.
Promotional panel: The FSC logo and promotional statement, editable to include the user‟s
license code, in a prescribed layout and with a border. A smaller version without the
promotional statement is also provided.
Subcontractor (affiliate, partner organization of a certification body): An organization or

individual with which/ whom the certification body has established a formal relationship (1) to
collaborate in providing all or any part of FSC accredited certification services (2) to their
clients (3).
(1) A contract or agreement has been signed by both parties.

(2) Services shall not include certification decision making.
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(3) Individuals working under formal agreement for the certification body, within the
accredited systems, and under the authority and direct control of the certification body
are not deemed to be subcontractors.
Trademark Service Provider (TSP): Organization (such as FSC National Office) appointed
by FSC to sublicense use of the FSC trademarks in a certain territory and to provide
services including the approval, control and monitoring of the FSC trademarks. In any
territory where there is no TSP (previously termed „Nominated Agent‟) available, then the
FSC Trademark Service Unit takes direct responsibility.
Trademark Service Unit (TSU): Part of FSC International with global responsibility to
provide primary guidance of the FSC trademark approval process. The TSU establishes and
maintains TSP contracts and monitoring.
Verbal forms for the expression of provisions

[Adapted from ISO/IEC Directives Part 2: Rules for the structure and drafting of International
Standards]
“shall”: indicates requirements strictly to be followed in order to conform to the standard.
“should”: indicates that among several possibilities one is recommended as particularly

suitable, without mentioning or excluding others, or that a certain course of action is
preferred but not necessarily required. A certification body can meet these requirements in
an equivalent way provided this can be demonstrated and justified.
“may”: indicates a course of action permissible within the limits of the document.
“can”: is used for statements of possibility and capability, whether material, physical or
causal.
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1. General requirements
1.1. The Forest Stewardship Council A.C (FSC) owns three registered trademarks
 The FSC “checkmark-and-tree” logo,
 The initials “FSC” and
 The name “Forest Stewardship Council”.
1.2. The FSC on-product Label is exclusively for the use of FSC certified
organizations, and therefore only the promotional panel shall be used by
uncertified organizations.
1.3. The following uncertified organizations can apply for approval to use the FSC
trademarks according to the requirements of this standard:
a) Organizations which according to the requirements of the

standard FSC-STD-40-004 are not required to have chain of
custody certification and wish to promote FSC labeled products,
advise or specify use of FSC products, use FSC products in
their business or activities, or promote FSC as a system;
b) Educational and research organizations;
c) Media organizations;
d) Certification bodies and their sub-contractors who deliver FSC
certification services.
It is requested to sign a trademark license agreement only to the

organizations on category “a)” above. Organizations in categories
“b), c) and d)” are only requested to sign an acknowledgment of
receipt of the FSC trademarks.
1.4. Organizations wishing to become FSC trademark licensees shall apply to:
a) Their national or regional Trademark Service Provider (TSP)

b) In the absence of a national or regional TSP, to the FSC
Trademark Service Unit.
1.5. A large uncertified organization (multi-national or group of companies under

the same ownership structure) that owns other uncertified organizations and
wishes to use the FSC trademarks for promotion can choose one of the
following options:
a) To sign an individual license agreement with different TSPs in

each country
b) To sign a centralized license agreement with FSC TSU for the
whole group of companies
1.6. The uncertified organizations that have signed a FSC Trademark License
Agreement with the TSP, can apply for permission to use the FSC trademarks
for promotional purposes.
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1.7. The FSC Trademark licensees receive an individual license code that shall be
included with all applications described in this standard unless stated
otherwise
1.8. An uncertified organization shall not:
a) Apply the FSC labels to any product or its packaging;

b) Include any information about FSC certification of products in
Its sales and delivery documents;
c) Use the FSC trademarks as part of a product name.
1.9. Uncertified organizations shall not create or use any designs or promotional
artwork confusingly similar to the FSC logo and labels.
On-product label elements or other information on certified product

composition, such as percentage of recycled or FSC material
(where this can be substantiated) may be included in promotional
materials as a descriptive text and submitted for TSP‟s approval.
1.10. Only the FSC trademark artwork and promotional statement provided by the
TSP or individually approved by the TSP shall be used. If the organization
wishes to include more information about FSC in any materials, this shall be
submitted to specific approval by the TSP
1.11. The FSC trademarks shall not be used in a way that could cause confusion,
misinterpretation or loss of credibility to the FSC certification scheme.
1.12. The name “Forest Stewardship Council” in the organization‟s materials shall
not be replaced with a translation.
A translation of the name can be included in brackets but it shall

not replace the words „‟ Forest Stewardship Council‟‟.
1.13. Where use of the FSC logo is not possible (e.g. in text or in small items)
minimum elements may be used. („FSC®‟ or „Forest Stewardship Council®‟
and when applicable license code.
1.14. The FSC trademarks shall not be incorporated into the organization‟s brand
marking.
1.15. The FSC trademarks shall not be used on any stationery templates, business
cards or email templates by any organization or at the top of document
templates or publicity materials.
1.16. The FSC trademarks may be used together with marks of other forest
certification schemes for promotional or educational purposes with the
condition that they do not imply equivalence in any way.
1.17. The organization shall submit artwork of all new reproductions of FSC
trademarks to the TSP for approval. Repeated uses may not require pre-
approval if in the opinion of the TSP the license holder has demonstrated a
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record of correct use and in this case an agreement shall be made for periodic
review.
1.18. FSC reserves the right to suspend or terminate the license agreement if the
organization is failing to comply with the FSC trademark requirements as set
out in this standard. The interpretation of these requirements is at the sole
discretion of FSC.
1.19. Uncertified retailers and brand owners cannot manipulate the FSC labels but
may request FSC certified suppliers to incorporate the FSC label into their
product or packaging design in accordance with the graphic rules given in the
FSC standard FSC-STD-50-001.
1.20. Uncertified organizations shall not use their supplier‟s product labels,
promotional panel or license codes in any promotional materials but shall
instead use their own individual license code issued by the TSP and in
compliance with the graphic rules given in this standard.
1.21. Uncertified organizations shall not use the FSC labels in promotional
materials affixed to products or their packaging. They may however affix
promotional materials to the certified product following the graphic rules given
in this standard.
In-store and website promotions should take care to avoid giving

the impression that products without an FSC label are also FSC
certified (e.g. other uncertified garden furniture on display).
Appropriate staff training is advised.
2. Requirements for specific uncertified organizations
2.1. Holding and mother companies
2.1.1. A holding or mother company (which is not required to have FSC

certification according to standard FSC-STD-40-004) that owns
several certified companies, or where certified branches of the same
company do not have a common license code, the company with
overall responsibility for the group may apply to become a trademark
licensee for promotional purposes meeting the following criteria:
a) All Certification Bodies (CBs) involved shall be informed.
b) Where there are both certified and non-certified operations, the

trademarks shall not be used in such a way as to seem to apply
to the non-certified operations and to the company as a whole.
2.2. Educational and research organizations
2.2.1. Each permission to use the trademarks by educational and research

organizations is granted for a single use only.
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2.3. Media organizations
2.3.1. Use of the FSC trademarks is freely allowed if in the opinion of FSC
the material is not intended or likely to bring FSC into disrepute.
2.3.2. The TSP can provide the artwork of the FSC trademarks to media
organizations on demand.
2.3.3. While use of a promotional statement is advised, it is not mandatory.
2.4. Certification bodies and their sub-contractors who deliver FSC

certification services
2.4.1. The license code shall be used on FSC certificates and in any publicity,
training materials or documents issued by the CB in connection with
FSC certification.
2.4.2. The CB can only advertise or promote services or activities which are
within the scope of their FSC accreditation.
2.4.3. Where a CB has sub-contractors to deliver certification services on its

behalf, the following rules apply:
a) The sub-contractor shall apply to the FSC TSU for a trademark

license code.
b)
c) Every use of the FSC trademarks or reference to FSC shall
include the words “delivering FSC certification services in
association with [name of CB]“ once in the materials.
3. Application process for FSC trademark use
3.1. Organizations wishing to promote FSC products shall submit the artwork of
the promotional material for the approval of the nominated TSP or FSC TSU,
as defined in this standard. Evidence shall be provided to verify that all the
products which the licensee wishes to promote are sourced from a FSC
certified supplier. The evidence shall be in the form of:
a) Invoices from the supplier showing the chain of custody

certification number of the supplier and clearly indicating which
products are certified;
b) Where the above is not possible, a signed letter from the
supplier listing the FSC labeled products, confirming that they
are labeled and stating the supplier‟s certificate number and the
license code used on the supplier‟s product label may be
accepted.
4. Graphic rules
Artwork designs for promotional use of FSC trademarks
4.1. Uncertified organizations shall use the FSC trademarks according to the
following options:
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a) The promotional panel as provided by FSC:
The FSC checkmark-and-tree logo
The FSC website address

www.fsc.org (or FSC TSP website)
The license code (where required),

in the format FSC® N######
The promotional statement “The mark

of responsible forest management”,
“Responsible forest management” or
other text approved by TSP
b) The promotional panel elements are used separately when the above option
is not possible due to space reasons:
The Mark of Responsible Forestry

®
FSC N###### www.fsc.org
The promotional statement „‟the mark of responsible forestry‟‟ may

be omitted for space reasons or when FSC is defined or explained
in accompanying text.
Where the elements are used separately they must be in close

enough proximity to show that they are linked
General graphic requirements
4.2. Elements of the promotional panel shall not be altered and shall be legible.
The promotional panel or logo may be resized proportionally.
4.3. The standard font of the text for the promotional panel is Arial Unicode MS.
4.4. The trademark symbols (® or ™ in superscript font) which represent the

registration status of an FSC trademark in the country in which FSC certified
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products or materials are to be distributed (as explained in Annex 1) shall

meet the following requirements:
a) Shall accompany the use of the FSC logo.
b) Shall also be added to “FSC” or “Forest Stewardship Council”

for the first use in any text.
4.5. Where the trademarks are being used to identify specific products in a
catalogue or in a website, the panel (or the elements) may appear just once
and each product item may be individually identified by any one of the three
FSC trademarks.
4.6. In referring to FSC or to FSC certified products, the preferred term

is ”responsible” not „‟sustainable‟‟, e.g. “responsible forestry” or ”responsibly
managed forests”.
4.7. Any promotional materials which refer to FSC products or the licensee‟s
commitment to supplying FSC products, shall include the statement “Look for
the FSC label on our products” or equivalent approved wording.
Size and placement requirements
4.8. The minimum size of the FSC “checkmark-and-tree” logo within a promotional
panel or without a background shall not be less than 10mm and is measured
from the top of the tree to base of letters FSC.
4.9. In the following cases, standalone logos may be used with a minimum size of
7mm:
a) Paper size is A5 or smaller
b) FSC logo used individually to indicate FSC certified products
(e.g. in catalogues, brochures)
4.10. There shall be enough clear space surrounding the promotional panel and/or
the FSC logo to ensure that it remains uncluttered. The minimum clear space
is calculated by using the height of the FSC initials of the logo
(ADD GRAPHIC EXAMPLE)
4.11. The FSC logo shall not be placed in an outline, design or border (other than
the border design provided in the promotional panel) so as to make it appear
that these are part of the design.
4.12. The FSC logo shall not be placed on strong patterns or images. Slight
shading or faint patterns may be acceptable if they do not interfere with the
logo.
Colors requirements for the promotional panel and the FSC logo
4.13. The following color requirements apply for the use of the FSC promotional
panel and logo:
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4.14. Positive green is the standard preferred color and shall be reproduced in
Pantone 626C. Negative green or black and white (positive or negative) may
be used as an alternative.
If a printing process uses CMYK or RGB instead of Pantone, the

equivalent color to Pantone 626C shall be used in CMYK or RGB
FSC standard promotional panel colors
FSC standard logo colors
4.15. If the printed item does not use green, black or white, the FSC promotional
panel and the FSC logo may be produced using the darkest available color.
4.16. When the options above are not possible, the FSC promotional panel or FSC
logo may appear transparent on a solid color non-patterned background,
provided that the contrast is sufficient to allow clear visibility of the logo.
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Annex 1: Trademark registrations by country and mark
The use of any FSC trademark shall be directly accompanied by the trademark symbols ® or
™ (in superscript font) which are representing the registration status of an FSC trademark in
a country in which FSC certified products or materials are intended to be distributed or being
used for promotional purposes.
COUNTRY
FOREST
FSC STEWARDSHIP
COUNCIL
Argentina ® ® ®
Australia ® ® ®
Bolivia ® ® ®
Brazil ® ® ®
Canada ® ® ®
China ® ® ®
1
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus ,
2
Czech Republic, Denmark , Estonia,
3 4
Finland , France , Germany, Greece,
European Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
® ® ®
Union (EU) Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The
5 6
Netherlands , Poland, Portugal ,
7
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain ,
Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Mexico ® ® ®
Russia ® ® ®
Switzerland ® ® ®
8
USA ® ® TM
9
Other countries TM TM TM
1Please use the ® for any trademark use in the part belonging to the Republic of Cyprus as it has full EU Trademark protection. Please
use the TM symbol in the northern part of the territory which is under the sovereignty of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as it is
not part of the EU.
2 Greenland and Faroe Islands do not have EU Trademark protection, The TM symbol shall be used.
3 Aland Islands are included as part of EU Community Trademark protection. The ® symbol shall be used.
4 The ® symbol shall be used in the French overseas departments (Départements et régions d’outre-mer - DROM) of Guadeloupe,
Martinique, Reunion and Guyane. The French overseas territories (territoires d’outre mer – TOM) French Polynesia, Mayotte, Saint
Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and Wallis and Futuna are not protected by the EU Community Trademark protection
. Please use the TM symbol in these states.
5Please use the TM symbol in these states: Curacao, Saint Martin, Bonaire and St. Eustatius, as they do not have EU Trademark
protection
6The ® symbol shall be used in the Azores and Madeira as they are protected under EU Trademark protection, as they are considered
part of Portuguese sovereignty.
7 The ® symbol shall be used in the Canary Islands and Ceuta and Melilla as they have EU Trademark protection.
8The US Trademark protection also extends to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Federated State of
Micronesia and Midway Islands. The symbols as set in the USA shall be used.
9 Please bear in mind that this table is subject to further development as there will be future FSC trademark applications in other countries.
15 of 15

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Forest Stewardship Council

FSC INTERNATIONAL STANDARD

Requirements for promotional use of the FSC trademarks by

DRAFT FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Title: Requirements for promotional use of the FSC trademarks by

Document reference code: FSC-STD-50-002 V1-0 D1-0

Approval date: Draft for Public Consultation

Contact: FSC International Center

E-mail for comments: trademark@fsc.org

© 2011 Forest Stewardship Council, A.C. All rights reserved.

Only organizations in possession of a valid chain of custody certificate are permitted to

However in certain circumstances, non-certified organizations such as retailers, brand

This standard covers the following type of trademark users:

Note on use of this standard

Please send any comments or suggestions regarding this document to:

FSC International Center

Annex 1: Trademark registrations by country

B Standard effective date

This standard becomes effective on 4 April 2011.

FSC-STD-01-002 FSC glossary of terms

D FSC normative documents replaced by this standard

E Terms and definitions

Finished product: Product that requires no further transformation in terms of processing or

Subcontractor (affiliate, partner organization of a certification body): An organization or

(1) A contract or agreement has been signed by both parties.

Verbal forms for the expression of provisions

“shall”: indicates requirements strictly to be followed in order to conform to the standard.

“should”: indicates that among several possibilities one is recommended as particularly

a) Organizations which according to the requirements of the

It is requested to sign a trademark license agreement only to the

a) Their national or regional Trademark Service Provider (TSP)

1.5. A large uncertified organization (multi-national or group of companies under

a) To sign an individual license agreement with different TSPs in

1.8. An uncertified organization shall not:

a) Apply the FSC labels to any product or its packaging;

On-product label elements or other information on certified product

A translation of the name can be included in brackets but it shall

In-store and website promotions should take care to avoid giving

2. Requirements for specific uncertified organizations

2.1. Holding and mother companies

2.1.1. A holding or mother company (which is not required to have FSC

a) All Certification Bodies (CBs) involved shall be informed.

b) Where there are both certified and non-certified operations, the

2.2. Educational and research organizations

2.2.1. Each permission to use the trademarks by educational and research

2.3. Media organizations

2.3.3. While use of a promotional statement is advised, it is not mandatory.

2.4. Certification bodies and their sub-contractors who deliver FSC

2.4.3. Where a CB has sub-contractors to deliver certification services on its

a) The sub-contractor shall apply to the FSC TSU for a trademark

3. Application process for FSC trademark use

a) Invoices from the supplier showing the chain of custody

Artwork designs for promotional use of FSC trademarks

a) The promotional panel as provided by FSC:

The FSC checkmark-and-tree logo

The FSC website address

The license code (where required),

The promotional statement “The mark

The Mark of Responsible Forestry

The promotional statement „‟the mark of responsible forestry‟‟ may

Where the elements are used separately they must be in close

General graphic requirements

4.4. The trademark symbols (® or ™ in superscript font) which represent the