# Implementation of Brand, Trademark and Copyright

<mark style="color:$danger;">**This Editorial Guide is used for Education Purposes Only. It is used in the Authoring Courses and Certifications. It is based on the January 2026 Editorial Guide.**</mark>

## Names

The use of the name of a clinical form or tool or of a brand name drug will usually not infringe on the copyright. However, caution should be exercised by implementers who wish to use trademarks in a *commercial* context, i.e. a system that enables drugs to be purchased electronically. SNOMED International does not advise implementers on this matter, but recommends that implementers, who are in any doubt, contact the trademark owner.

In general, implementers should make no greater use of a trademark than is necessary. For example, displaying a graphical mark (e.g., a logo) on a screen or in printed material should be avoided.

## Questions, answers, and scores

Implementers should manage questions, answers, and scores in the same way as SNOMED International. When the incorporation of content from a clinical form or tool infringes on the copyright, the system the reproduces (by display or print) the content also usually infringes. This means that the license to incorporate content by SNOMED International should also cover the system implementer.

## Preexisting terms

As noted above, terms in a clinical form may already exist within SNOMED CT, even though they have not been copied from the form. This is not copyright infringement by SNOMED International. If, however, a system implementer chooses to arrange a collection of these pre-existing terms in a way that reproduces all or a substantial part of a clinical form (e.g., by populating a drop-down box with all of the possible answers to a specific question on the form), that may infringe on the copyright.

## Form structure

A system may reproduce the structure and layout of a clinical form on a screen display or printed output (e.g., to make the system more accessible to users who are familiar with a paper-based form). This may infringe on the copyright, unless the structure or layout is very minimal (e.g., a bulleted list). An implementer who wishes to emulate the *look and feel* of a clinical form should seek a license from the owner.

## Algorithms or logic

System implementers may use the algorithm or logic inherent in a clinical form or tool (e.g. the method by which an overall score is calculated). For example, a clinical form may instruct the user to perform a mathematical operation on the individual answers to produce the overall score, and the same operation may be carried out by the system. The use of the algorithm or logic is an infringement. SNOMED International avoids such use and encourages system implementers to contact the owner to discuss possible infringement.

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