Don’t get me wrong, I love Canva. Even if you have never used a graphic design programme before, Canva can turn you into a skilled designer in just a few hours. Canva has some limitations that make it less than ideal for some tasks, like making a logo for a business. It’s important to know that there may be legal consequences for creating your buisness’s logo on Canva before you start.
Basically, it’s a trademark issue
Canva’s logo templates are customizable and can be used by anyone. This means that your rights to the logo are non-exclusive and you can’t register it as a trademark.
You can’t trademark the logo you created in Canva. When you design logos in this the Canva software using their templates you risk infringing on another company’s copyright no matter the industry.
This can get you into big trouble and cause havoc on your business.
Because the Canva logo is based on another work, it can’t be protected. The following comes from Canva and is original:
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For a logo to be valid, it needs a unique sign that was made just for that brand. Any of the pictures, videos, or music files in Canva’s media library are not allowed to be used in a trademark because of this. This includes the fonts, basic shapes, and lines. Remember that other Canva users can use the same Content, and you can’t say that you have the only rights to use Free or Pro Content in branding materials like logos.
We can now talk about the next subject: exclusive rights.
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If you use a pre-made template to make a logo in Canva or any other tool, it’s likely that someone else has already done something very similar. The image is still the same, even though the words have changed. On the store Etsy, logos are also made in large quantities. In the picture below, you can see for yourself how many times these logos have been bought (thousands). Want a brand that thousand of other businesses use too? No, I didn’t think so.
Those websites own the copyrights to those images
A logo is an essential part of a company’s brand identity. A widely and instantly recognized logo is a valuable intangible asset for a company.
This isn’t something you can achieve with Canva
The matter of copyright infringement.
Most Canva users aren’t trained artists, so they mostly use the site’s library of clip art and other graphics. The stock images in Canva come from other websites and are licenced by Canva. This means that those websites own the copyrights to those images.
Canva’s terms of service say that you can sell your works for money, but not Canva’s own templates. When you sell things with your name on them, you might be breaking the law if you use a logo generator.
BUT IS IT THAT IMPORTANT?
All of this might not apply to you if you run a small business in your area and have no plans to take your name across the country.
You had to have a design, so you made one while staying within your budget. That is wonderful! When your business becomes more well-known, you’ll need to start thinking more about how to make your name stand out.
So, should you use Canva to make logos?
No!
Some parts can be branded without worrying about getting in trouble with the law. In this group are typefaces, lines, and simple geometric shapes. You can also add your own artwork (SVG files are now supported) and arrange it in a template that you make yourself.
A logo is an essential part of a company’s brand identity. A widely and instantly recognized logo is a valuable intangible asset for a company.
This isn’t something you can achieve with Canva. Use Canva for other materials like social media graphics when your branding guide and assets are already in place.
If you would like to learn more about Canva’s Content License Agreement as well as you can read about Canva’s feeling on Copyrights & Tradmarks.
Key Takeaways
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When you create a design using Canva, you receive a license to use any pre-designed pieces (elements) in your design. You do not own those elements
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By definition, to be a trademark, a design has to be unique enough to identify a particular company. A template logo is probably not unique enough to function as a trademark
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If your logo is just a stylized version of your business name, you’ll get broader trademark protection if you register the words of your business name than the logo
How I can help?
People remember how you make them feel. colour, aesthetics, and language influence your target customer’s mood and will make or break your deal.
Brand Kit:
+ Logo Design
+ Font Selection
+ Brand Colors
+ Social Media Icons
+ Mood Board
You’re here because you have a business – one you care deeply about – and you want someone who will feel the same about your brand, industry, and values. We create purpose-focused content for values-based brands and people like you. Let’s solve the problems together.
Ask me about my Branding Packages.
