Logos, emblems, brands: They are important because for many of us they proclaim our interests and allegiances, mostly notably among high schools and sports teams but also for identifications that range from the trivial, say the Ford logo on a cap, to those more closely held beliefs, such as a tattoo of the American flag.
With familiarity of a logo comes proclamation and quick recognition of who you work for, who you root for or what you believe in.
So we don’t consider the city of Everett’s search for a new logo as trivial or a waste of money. It’s a brand that, carried on city-owned vehicles, websites and letterhead, helps to identify city equipment and employees and convey a sense of authority and responsibility.
Many of us remember a simple but friendly lower-case “e” as Everett’s logo decades ago. The city’s current logo, using wavy bands to suggest mountains and water to form an “E,” was in need of an upgrade, so the city launched a contest calling for submissions and received more than 850 entries.
The winner, selected from 65 finalists, was a stylized trapezoid shape with bands that suggested an “E” and were intended to evoke the bow of a ship for Everett’s maritime connection and an airliner’s tail fin in a nod to our aerospace industry. Not everyone was impressed. Letter writers to The Herald said it looked more like a wedge of cheese or a pup tent upended in the wind.
But the design, like that lowercase “e,” was simple, clean and easily identifiable.
Which explains why a Chicago-based wealth management company, Envestnet, had already been using it as its brand.
There are differences in the two designs but too many similarities for Everett to now use it as its logo. Getting involved in a legal tussle with a wealth management company would make as much sense as attempting to appropriate the Coke logo.
The problem with a design that is relatively simple and uncluttered is the possibility that there is already something like it out there.
So it’s back to the drawing board.
With 850 entries and, now, 64 “finalists,” Everett shouldn’t need to throw out everything and start from scratch. While the city cautioned those entering the contest not to infringe on the work of other artists, as it selects new finalists the city should check designs against a registry of logos, such as the one at www.trademarks-logos.com. The website’s list is not foolproof; it doesn’t include Envestnet’s logo. But it’s a place to start. A more thorough search of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s records might be necessary, as would hiring a trademark attorney. It’s an additional cost, but it could avoid an expensive and embarrassing mistake.
Or we could just go back to that friendly little “e.”
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