REAL TALK šš»āāļø Canva is great…. but is not the best place to create a logo, or even a branding suite. It’s because you CANNOT trademark logos from Canva! Did you know this? It’s super important to start spreading the word because your business can depend on it. Trust me when I say, it’s better to invest in a legit logo or brand suite up front, versus having to start from scratch down the line or even if you come across a competitor with the same exact logo as you, confusing the heck out of your audience and potential customers.
Shocked by this? Pin it + spread the word!
Now before you ask, no matter if you are on the free or pro account, this still applies to all elements and logo examples on Canva. You cannot trademark them. Period. It’s pretty simple if you think about it, those elements are up for grabs for anyone who wants to snag them, meaning you don’t technically own the rights to them, therefore you cannot trademark them.
If you’ve never heard this before, I’m sorry to break the news but just google it and you’ll see that Canva itself says the following in their terms:
A trademark has to be a unique symbol. For that reason, you can’t use Free or Pro content as part of a trademark, design mark, trade name, business name, service mark, or logo.
Our logo templates are for inspiration ā
a starting point for your own unique design.
These are all things to consider if you are just starting out, or even have already created something there. Like I said above, your business might depend on it if you ever plan on getting a trademark or just want security that no one else in your niche has the same logo as you.
A brand should be unique to you, and your business only, not 1,000s of others using the same formatting or symbols. With that in mind, you really want to work with someone (or DIY it yourself outside canva elements) to create something one of a kind.
Don’t get me wrong, you can still use Canva for your needs (I do!)…
But creating a branded logo from their elements is a big no no, especially their pre-made logos. š±
With that in mind, you really want to work with someone (or DIY it yourself outside canva elements) to create something one of a kind for you, and your business. That way in the future, you don’t have to run into any legal issues or re-brand down the line to protect your unique business.
Did you know this about Canva? How does this change your processes moving forward? Leave a comment and let me know!
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Excellent read, Alexis! While Canva allows you to quickly generate a range of print and digital designs, it is not great for creating logos as it is not a vector-based application. Canva’s logo templates are also customizable and may be used by anybody. It implies that your logo rights are non-exclusive and that you cannot register it as a trademark.
YES – exactly!
Great write-up, Alexis! I agree with you. Even though they say trademarking is possible in Canva, its is not so. They do no allow trademark on stock photos or templets available in Canva. Which is why I prefer no to make logos on Canva. With all this, there won’t be any uniqueness in a logo.
Really good to know, Alexis, thanks!
In the end, it’s about everyone making sure they end up with a trademark that’s distinctive – whatever the design is, and whatever the source of the design is.
Canva certainly doesn’t want the responsibility of competitors trying to register similar trademarks, and so it makes sense for them to block the protection of these designs completely.
Hi, so if I create a logo on Canva using their graphic elements for a client that is a realtor, I cannot use the Ā® symbol on the design?
Hey there. You cannot trademark anything that Canva owns on their platform – but don’t forget you cannot just put the registered symbol on something unless they have fully registered their business as a trademark.