The Stage-GateŽ Trademark

  What is a trademark?
 Apply for permission to use the trademark
 Terms for using our trademark
Stage-GateŽ is a registered trademark. In the European Union the owners of this trademark are Dr. Robert. G. Cooper, Product Development Institute and Jens Arleth, Innovation Management U3.

The Stage-GateŽ brand is one of the most recognized and trusted brands in the world. The trademark Stage-Gate is well-known for its long use in association with a best practice, high quality product innovation process. All of the trademarks of Innovation Management U3 and Stage-Gate Europe share its reputation for standards of excellence, world-class performance and successful product innovation. Our trademarks help consumers identify the authentic products and services of Innovation Management U3 and member company, Stage-Gate Europe, and thereby serve to distinguish us from our competitors.

It is illegal to inappropriately use, identify, and/or reference the trademarks of Innovation Management U3 and Stage-Gate Europe, including the well-known Stage-Gate trademark, to promote competitive products or services. Words and/or images that are confusingly similar to our trademarks may also be illegal in such circumstances. The unauthorized use of any of our trademarks, or a mark that is confusingly similar to any of our trademarks, may lead consumers to believe that your product or service is managed, sponsored, or endorsed by Innovation Management U3 and/or Stage-Gate Europe.

Proper Use, Identification and Reference of our Intellectual Property
You may use, identify and reference our trademarks, logos, tag lines, artwork, packaging or the content of this web site for the purposes of academic research, articles, user testimonials and case studies provided you comply with the guidelines below for the proper use, identification and reference of intellectual property. Your use must not mislead consumers as to any relationship with Innovation Management U3 and/or Stage-Gate Europe, including sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of your company, or your products or services.

Guidelines if you have permission to use the Stage-GateŽ trademark
Stage-Gate trademark You must use the format "Stage-GateŽ".
 In your material you must write: "Stage-GateŽ is a trademark of Innovation Management U3". You can write this either as a footnote at the page, where you use the term Stage-GateŽ or as an endnote if you use the term at several pages of your document.
 Web pages: If you write "Stage-GateŽ" at a web page, this page must have at least one visible link to www.stage-gate.dk". You do this by linking the word "Stage-GateŽ" to "http://www.stage-gate.dk/"  the first time it appears in your HTML document. This will look the following way: Stage-GateŽ
Please see an example at www.saesgetters.com.

 
Language version: The contents of www.stage-gate.dk: are available in different languages.
Wrong ways to write Stage-GateŽ:
Once in a while we observe the use of forms like Stage/Gate, STAGE GATE, stage-gate, StageGate, Phase-Gate, Gate-process or similar. These forms can easily be confused with Stage-GateŽ. Hereby they violate our trademark rights and are illegal according to the trademark legislation.

Please send an application if you wish to obtain permission to use the Stage-GateŽ trademark.

Frequently Asked Questions
  1. Can I use one of your trademarks, such as Stage-Gate, to indicate that my product or service is similar to or can be used in the product innovation process?
    No. Such use could lead customers to believe that your product or service is managed, sponsored, or endorsed by Innovation Management U3 and/or Stage-Gate Europe. Your product or service will be required to demonstrate defined performance standards before it is eligible to display one of our trademarks or logos. If you do not have a signed agreement specifically for the use of our trademarks or logos, you may not use any of our trademarks or logos.
  2. Can I use one of your trademarks to inform our stakeholders that we have officially acquired and implemented one of your products/services (example: Stage-GateŽ)?
    Yes. You may reference Innovation Management U3 and/or Stage-Gate Europe trademarks and logos provided the reference complies with the above guidelines.
  3. Can I use one of your trademarks in my academic research, report, seminar presentation and/or article project?
    Yes. You may reference one of our trademarks provided the reference complies with the above guidelines and the project is displayed, used in, or directed to a non commercial (i.e. academic) environment.
  4. Can I use the text and/or images found on the official websites of the Stage-GateŽ System (www.stage-gate.eu, www.stage-gate.dk and www.u3.dk) in a report that I am preparing and delivering to people within my company?
    No. These materials are protected by copyright and cannot be copied, modified, distributed, displayed, licensed or sold unless we explicitly give you permission in writing.
    You may request permission by using the application form at our website.
  5. Can I use your trademarks, logos, tag lines or artwork on merchandise such as clothing and coffee mugs, that I am preparing and delivering to people within my company to internally promote our company’s adoption of your products or services?
    No. These materials are protected by copyright and cannot be copied, modified, distributed, displayed, licensed or sold unless we explicitly give you permission in writing.
    You may request permission by using the application form at our website.
Information about the Stage-Gate trademark in Europe
EU trademark reference number000655324
TrademarkSTAGE-GATE (word)
Date of registration23 September 1999
HoldersJens Arleth & Robert G. Cooper
Innovation Management U3, Vesterbrogade 149, 1620 Copenhagen V, Denmark
Goods and services included in the registration (Nice Classification)EN 9, EN 16, EN 35, EN 41, EN 42.
Copies of trademark documents registration-letter.pdf (0.2 MB), trademark-certificate.pdf (1.6 MB)

Source: Stage-Gate Inc. & Jens Arleth.
 © Jens Arleth, 2008