How are intellectual property, copyrights, and trademarks handled?

Intellectual property includes things such as your project’s name, logo, curriculum, research, website, and works of literature or art. Intellectual property, trademarks, and copyrights to materials your project produces through donated funds, or acquires with donated funds, are considered charitable assets of Community Partners, held for the benefit of your project.

Should your project choose to separate from Community Partners, the Community Partners Board of Directors would make a decision about how to distribute the charitable assets of intellectual property, copyrights, and trademarks so that they continue serving the project’s original charitable purposes.

Typically this means Community Partners would distribute these assets to your project if it becomes an independent 501(c)(3), or to a charitable organization that you designate. Intellectual property and other assets generally cannot be distributed to private for-profit businesses or individuals. 

Please note that if you want to obtain a formal federal registration of your project name, you must do it under the name of Community Partners.