NARCOA COPYRIGHT, TRADEMARK, AND LOGO USE POLICY

Last updated: July 17, 2026

1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

This policy explains the ownership and permitted use of materials published or distributed by the North American Railcar Operators Association (“NARCOA,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).

It applies to:

1. The NARCOA website.

2. THE SETOFF.

3. NARCOA calendars.

4. Rulebooks, Policy Books, Operations Manuals, forms, bulletins, releases, agreements, inspection forms, training materials, photographs, videos, graphics, and other publications.

5. The NARCOA name, logo, symbols, slogans, trademarks, and service marks.

6. Material distributed in print, electronically, through social media, or by any other medium.

This policy does not transfer ownership of third-party material that NARCOA is authorized to publish or use.

2. OWNERSHIP OF NARCOA MATERIALS

Unless otherwise stated, NARCOA owns or licenses the text, graphics, photographs, videos, logos, forms, documents, publications, organization, and other original material it publishes or distributes.

These materials are protected by applicable copyright, trademark, unfair-competition, and other intellectual-property laws.

A copyright notice is not required for copyright protection. The absence of a copyright notice does not mean that material is in the public domain or may be freely copied.

Certain material appearing in NARCOA publications or on the Website may belong to a member, photographer, author, railroad, Affiliate, government agency, vendor, or other third party. Permission to use NARCOA-owned material does not include permission to use third-party material.

3. PERSONAL AND MEMBER USE

NARCOA members and Website users may view, download, and print NARCOA materials for personal, educational, historical, membership-related, safety-related, or other noncommercial use, subject to the following conditions:

1. The material is not altered in a misleading way.

2. Copyright, trademark, attribution, revision-date, and ownership notices remain intact.

3. The use does not imply NARCOA sponsorship, sanction, approval, certification, or endorsement.

4. The material is not sold, licensed, republished, or used to promote a commercial product or service.

5. The use complies with any additional restriction shown on the material.

6. Current official documents are not represented by outdated or altered copies.

Permission for personal use does not authorize public reposting of complete NARCOA publications or systematic copying of NARCOA archives.

4. AFFILIATE USE

A recognized NARCOA Affiliate may use selected NARCOA materials for legitimate Affiliate purposes, including organizing and promoting excursions, providing required safety information, and communicating with members.

Affiliate use is subject to the following conditions:

1. The Affiliate must remain in good standing.

2. The use must comply with NARCOA’s bylaws, Policy Book, Rulebook, Operations Manual, and Board-approved policies.

3. The Affiliate may not describe an excursion or activity as “NARCOA sanctioned,” “NARCOA approved,” or use similar language implying approval unless NARCOA has expressly authorized that wording.

4. The Affiliate may not alter an official form, agreement, release, Rulebook provision, insurance document, or inspection form without written authorization.

5. The Affiliate may not sublicense NARCOA materials or permit their use by an unrelated person or organization.

6. NARCOA may require correction or removal of any use that is inaccurate, misleading, unsafe, outdated, or inconsistent with NARCOA policy.

5. THE NARCOA NAME, LOGO, AND MARKS

The NARCOA name, logo, symbol, logotype, and related marks identify the North American Railcar Operators Association and its official activities.

The NARCOA logo may be used only:

1. By NARCOA for official purposes.

2. By a recognized NARCOA Affiliate as permitted by this policy and other NARCOA policies.

3. By another person or organization with prior written permission from an authorized NARCOA representative.

Only authorized artwork may be used. The logo may not be redrawn, distorted, stretched, recolored, cropped, combined with another logo, placed within another design, or modified except as expressly permitted by written logo standards.

A user may not:

1. Use the NARCOA name or logo in a business name, product name, domain name, social-media account name, publication title, event title, or organization name without written permission.

2. Use the logo in a manner that implies endorsement, certification, sponsorship, partnership, or approval.

3. Use the logo on merchandise, clothing, hats, decals, signs, patches, equipment, or promotional products without written permission.

4. Use the logo in a manner that is unlawful, defamatory, misleading, unsafe, or damaging to NARCOA.

5. Register or attempt to register a NARCOA mark, a confusingly similar mark, or a domain or account name incorporating a NARCOA mark.

Use of the NARCOA logo on clothing and merchandise is limited to NARCOA-authorized sources, including the NARCOA Company Store and approved Affiliate uses.

6. LIMITED USE OF THE NARCOA NAME BY MEMBERS AND OTHERS

A NARCOA member, group, or individual that is not a recognized Affiliate may use the NARCOA name only:

1. To state accurately that a person is a NARCOA member.

2. To state that NARCOA-approved insurance is required, when that statement is accurate.

3. To state that the current NARCOA Rulebook will be used as the baseline set of rules, when that statement is accurate.

4. As otherwise approved in writing by the NARCOA President or an authorized representative.

Without prior approval, the NARCOA name may not be used in books, magazines, photographs, films, videos, social-media channels, websites, Internet postings, merchandise, or other communications in a manner prohibited by NARCOA policy.

A factual reference to NARCOA for news reporting, commentary, criticism, scholarship, historical discussion, or identification may be permissible under applicable law, provided the use is accurate and does not imply endorsement.

7. PROHIBITED USES OF NARCOA MATERIALS

Unless authorized by law or by written permission from NARCOA, a person may not:

1. Reproduce or distribute a complete NARCOA publication.

2. Repost NARCOA material on another website, social-media platform, file-sharing service, or document repository.

3. Sell, license, rent, or commercially exploit NARCOA material.

4. Incorporate substantial NARCOA material into another work, software product, database, training program, publication, or commercial service.

5. Remove or alter copyright, trademark, attribution, revision, or ownership notices.

6. Modify an official document and present it as an official NARCOA document.

7. Create a derivative logo, badge, patch, mark, or design based on the NARCOA logo.

8. Use NARCOA material to create confusion about the source, approval, or status of an event, rule, organization, product, or service.

9. Use automated tools to copy, scrape, archive, or collect substantial portions of the Website or NARCOA publications without permission.

10. Use NARCOA material to train, populate, or improve a commercial database, artificial-intelligence system, or content service without written permission, except as allowed by law.

11. Publish outdated safety rules, forms, releases, or operating requirements in a manner likely to cause confusion or unsafe reliance.

8. OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AND ALTERATIONS

Official NARCOA documents must be used in their current approved form.

No person may alter, abridge, combine, reformat, translate, or create a derivative version of an official NARCOA agreement, release, waiver, insurance application, inspection form, Rulebook, Operations Manual, Policy Book, or certification document without written authorization.

An excerpt may be quoted for commentary, training, or explanation when permitted by law, provided that:

1. The quotation is accurate.

2. The source and current version are identified.

3. The excerpt is not presented as a substitute for the complete current document.

4. The use does not create a false or unsafe impression.

NARCOA’s current policy requires official agreements, releases, insurance applications, and inspection forms to be signed by hand in ink unless that policy is later changed by the Board.

9. PHOTOGRAPHS, ARTICLES, AND MEMBER SUBMISSIONS

A member or contributor generally retains copyright in an original photograph, article, letter, video, or other work submitted to NARCOA unless ownership is transferred by a separate written agreement.

By submitting material for publication, display, archival use, or another organizational purpose, the contributor grants NARCOA the license described in the NARCOA Terms of Service or the applicable submission agreement.

NARCOA may edit submitted material for length, clarity, format, grammar, layout, or publication requirements, while avoiding material changes to the author’s meaning unless permission is obtained.

A contributor must have the right to submit the material and is responsible for obtaining any necessary permission involving:

1. Copyrighted third-party material.

2. Identifiable persons.

3. Private property.

4. Trademarks.

5. Railroad or event restrictions.

6. Confidential or sensitive information.

Publication by NARCOA does not necessarily transfer ownership of the submitted work to NARCOA.

10. REQUESTING PERMISSION

A request to use NARCOA copyrighted material, the NARCOA logo, or another NARCOA mark should include:

1. The requester’s name and contact information.

2. The requester’s organization and relationship to NARCOA.

3. The exact material or mark requested.

4. A sample, draft, mockup, screenshot, or link showing the proposed use.

5. The purpose of the use.

6. The intended audience.

7. Whether the use is commercial or noncommercial.

8. The media, format, quantity, and duration of the proposed use.

9. The geographic area of distribution, if relevant.

10. Any proposed alterations.

11. The date permission is needed.

Requests should be sent to:

NARCOA
P.O. Box 9035

Cincinnati, OH 45209

Email: narcoamembers@gmail.com

NARCOA may approve, deny, limit, or condition a request. Permission applies only to the specific use approved and may be revoked if the use exceeds the permission granted or harms NARCOA’s interests.

11. ATTRIBUTION

When NARCOA grants permission, it may require an attribution such as:

“Used with permission of the North American Railcar Operators Association.”

NARCOA may also require:

1. A copyright notice.

2. A link to the NARCOA Website.

3. Identification of the document version or publication date.

4. Identification of the photographer or author.

5. A statement that NARCOA does not endorse the requester or its product, service, or activity.

The required wording should be stated in the written permission.

12. LINKING TO THE NARCOA WEBSITE

Other websites may generally link to a publicly available NARCOA webpage using a normal text link, provided that the link:

1. Accurately identifies NARCOA or the linked page.

2. Does not imply sponsorship, sanction, approval, endorsement, or affiliation.

3. Does not frame or display the NARCOA Website in a misleading manner.

4. Does not use the NARCOA logo without permission.

5. Does not appear on a website that is unlawful, deceptive, defamatory, obscene, malicious, or likely to harm NARCOA.

6. Does not bypass access controls or link directly to restricted member-only files.

NARCOA may request removal or correction of a link that creates confusion or violates this policy.

Linking to a page does not authorize copying or reposting the content of that page.

13. FAIR USE AND OTHER LEGAL RIGHTS

Nothing in this policy is intended to prohibit use that is expressly permitted by applicable law, including fair use, public-domain use, or another applicable copyright limitation.

Whether a particular use qualifies as fair use depends on the facts and applicable law. NARCOA cannot provide legal advice to a requester about whether a proposed use is lawful.

A person relying on fair use or another legal exception remains responsible for that determination.

14. REPORTING INFRINGEMENT OR MISUSE

A person may report suspected unauthorized use of NARCOA materials, marks, or logo by providing:

1. A description of the material or mark involved.

2. The location of the suspected misuse.

3. The name of the person or organization involved, if known.

4. Screenshots, links, documents, or other supporting information.

5. The reporter’s contact information.

Reports should be sent to narcoamembers@gmail.com or mailed to the address in Section 10.

15. COPYRIGHT COMPLAINTS CONCERNING MATERIAL ON THE NARCOA WEBSITE

A copyright owner or authorized agent who believes that material on the NARCOA Website infringes a copyright may submit a written notice containing:

1. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.

2. Identification of the material claimed to be infringing and enough information to locate it.

3. The complaining party’s name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.

4. A statement that the complaining party has a good-faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.

5. A statement that the information in the notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act for the copyright owner.

6. A physical or electronic signature.

The notice may be sent using the contact information in Section 10.

This is a general reporting procedure. It does not state that NARCOA has designated an agent with the United States Copyright Office or completed the procedures necessary to claim safe-harbor protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

16. ENFORCEMENT

NARCOA may respond to unauthorized or improper use by:

1. Requesting correction, attribution, removal, or cessation of the use.

2. Suspending or revoking permission.

3. Reporting the use to a hosting provider, platform, registrar, marketplace, search engine, or other service provider.

4. Submitting a copyright, trademark, impersonation, or other platform complaint.

5. Seeking an injunction, damages, costs, attorneys’ fees, or other relief available by law.

6. Taking action under NARCOA’s bylaws, policies, membership procedures, or Affiliate procedures when the person involved is subject to those documents.

NARCOA will determine the appropriate response based on the facts, the seriousness of the use, safety concerns, potential confusion, and the cost and likely benefit of enforcement.

Nothing in this policy requires NARCOA to pursue every suspected violation.

17. NO ENDORSEMENT

Permission to use NARCOA material, or the presence of a link to or from a third-party website, does not constitute NARCOA’s endorsement of a person, organization, product, service, publication, event, or opinion unless NARCOA expressly states otherwise in writing.

18. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

NARCOA may revise this policy by posting an updated version and changing the “Last updated” date.

Existing written permissions remain subject to their own terms. NARCOA may require future use to comply with updated logo standards or other reasonable conditions.

19. CONTACT INFORMATION

Questions and permission requests may be directed to:

NARCOA
P.O. Box 9035
Cincinnati, OH 45209

Email: narcoamembers@gmail.com