IM Trademark Usage Policy

We would like to kindly inform our visitors, partners, and associates that we have registered specific trademarks which are to be used in accordance with the rules set forth in this legal notice and elsewhere on our website.

In compliance with the Trademark Act, each use of Illustrative Mathematics’ registered marks such as “IM” will be accompanied by the official registration symbol, “®”, typically positioned directly after the mark and slightly above or below it as a superscript or subscript. We aim to place the registration symbol on all new advertising, marketing materials, and press releases while the existing stockpiles are gradually updated.

The placement of the “®” symbol might be subject to aesthetic considerations. In such cases, alternative placements are permissible. However, it should be noted that consistent usage of the official registration symbol is critical for ensuring complete protection under the Trademark Act. In accordance with the Trademark Act, Section 29, the failure to use the registration symbol can bar the recovery of profits and damages against an infringer who did not have actual notice of the registration.

For legal sufficiency, the symbol “®” should be applied either the first time a registered mark is used in digital or printed collateral, or on the most prominent use of a mark in such material.

In light of the chronic misuse of our registered marks by third parties, and the importance of these marks to our brand, we are introducing a dedicated “legal” section on our website, illustrativemathematics.org. This new section will enumerate all the registrations that Illustrative Mathematics currently owns, providing a clear reference for our partners and the public.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in respecting our trademark usage policy. If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to contact us at [email protected].

Brand Guidelines for Users of IM® Math Open Education Resource Materials

Terms of Use under Fair Use and Creative Commons Licenses

Illustrative Mathematics® and IM® are the registered trademarks and the name of a 501(c)(3) corporation. Our company, Illustrative Mathematics, has created open education resource (OER) materials named IM® K–12 Math. Two editions are in publication with different Creative Commons licenses. The earliest edition, copyright 2019-2021, is called IM® K-12 Math and offered under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). The second edition, an IM K-12 Math curricula called IM® v.360, copyright 2024, is offered under a Creative Commons 4.0 Non-Commercial International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Use of either Creative Commons license requires an attribution to the source material and license. The Illustrative Mathematics® name and logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Illustrative Mathematics. For more copyright license information, visit Creative Commons.

Entities who create and sell products based on the first edition, IM K–12 Math (CC BY 4.0), or who create non-commercial products based on IM v.360 (CC BY-NC 4.0), are free to call their product anything they like as long as it does not suggest an association or relationship with Illustrative Mathematics. Our company name, Illustrative Mathematics®, or unauthorized derivatives such as Illustrative Math, may not be used to name our curricula in any context.

In secondary messaging and attribution, it is appropriate to refer to authorship by Illustrative Mathematics, for example: “[Product Name] is based on IM® K–12 Math authored by Illustrative Mathematics®. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.” Likewise, in secondary messaging and attribution for non-commercial uses of IM v.360 we suggest: “[Product Name] is based on IM® v.360 authored by Illustrative Mathematics®. Used under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.” Nomenclature of either edition may include a specific grade or grade band as appropriate (e.g., IM® Grade 3 Math, IM® 6-8 Math v.360, etc.). The trademark registration symbol for Illustrative Mathematics® or IM® should be placed in the first or most prominent use of the mark and may be left off of subsequent mentions.

For more nomenclature or brand use information, please contact us at [email protected].

Schools and districts will always have free access to the curricula authored by Illustrative Mathematics: IM® K-12 Math hosted at Kendall Hunt and IM® v.360 hosted at AccessIM.