Department of Defense and Military Seals are protected by law from unauthorized use, and these seals may NOT be used for non-official purposes.
There is no substitute for the Department of Defense Seal that may be used by non-DOD personnel that would represent the Department of Defense.
Each Military Service has a Trademark Licensing Program Office that manages its graphic and word trademarks (including common law trademarks). These protected marks may not be used without a license agreement or written permission, depending on the nature of the request.
The intent of the DOD Branding and Trademark Licensing Program is to create policy and provide guidance to DOD Components that use or create their own intellectual property for official or commercial purposes. DOD Components are responsible for managing and protecting their own marks. Protecting the marks allows the Department to:
- Ensure quality control of commercial items bearing military names and insignia.
- Prevent the sale of co-branded commercial products that would inappropriately imply an association with DOD or give a perception of DOD endorsement or selective benefit toward commercial entities, privately owned businesses, non-profit organizations, and other organizations.
- Ensure the respective branch insignia is not abused or misused in a way that would bring discredit to the service or the Department.
- Stop individuals and companies from deceiving viewers by using fake websites bearing military names and insignia and luring viewers to disclose personally identifiable information that may be sold later.
For general information on other limitations for public use, visit: https://www.dimoc.mil/resources/limitations/