Names matter and it is important for our church to stay vigilant to protect our good name as we share our message of hope with others.
The reason you were asked to choose a different name is because “Seventh-day Adventist” is a registered trademark, and its use is monitored and enforced by the trademark holder. In this case the trademark holder is the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists.
Trademarks are considered intellectual property, along with copyrights, patents and trade secrets. A trademark is a distinctive word, phrase, logo or sign that identifies certain goods or services produced or provided by an individual or company. It helps people identify who they are receiving services or goods from. For example, we can all identify common trademarks like McDonald’s golden arches and the Olympic rings.
Trademark infringement occurs whenever someone uses another’s trademarks without permission in a way that could confuse or mislead the public regarding the source of goods or services. Trademark laws protect against misuse that could harm a brand, reputation or good name.
The General Conference Corporation owns several trademarks, including the names “Adventist” and “Seventh-day Adventist” and the church logo. You can find a complete list of trademarks owned by the denomination at adventist.org/trademark-and-logo-usage/.
The church has specific guidelines regarding who can use the church’s trademarks. For example, official church organizations and local churches can use the trademarks as part of their ministries; however, others are only allowed to use the trademarks if they have been approved and agree to comply with certain restrictions on usage.
Some may question why the church has so many rules in place concerning the use of its name. However, the name of any organization is one of its most valuable assets, and the name of our church holds a special importance. When people see the name "Seventh-day Adventist" they identify it with the church's goodwill, reputation and ministry.
For example, if any group was able to call themselves “Adventist” but then engaged in activities or promoted beliefs deviating from the beliefs of our church it would cause confusion to those we are trying to reach regarding who Adventists really are and what we believe. Unfortunately, there have been times when others have caused harm to the church by infringing on our trademarks. There have been offshoot groups who continue to want to use the name Adventist to benefit from our name’s goodwill but whose teachings conflict with those of the church. Fortunately, the General Conference is constantly monitoring its trademarks to prevent this kind of misuse.
As you can see, names matter and it is important for our church to stay vigilant to protect our good name as we share our message of hope with others.
Jennifer Gray Woods is the lawyer for the Lake Union Conference, as well as the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director.
