THE INSTITUTE OF COMPANY SECRETARIES OF INDIA
(Constituted under the Company Secretaries Act, 1980)
ICSI Guideline No. 1 of 2015
[Pursuant to Clause (1) of Part II of the Second Schedule to the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 as amended]
New Delhi, the 1st September, 2015
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF INDIVIDUAL LOGO BY COMPANY SECRETARIES IN PRACTICE
In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause (1) of Part II of the Second Schedule to the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 (56 of 1980), as amended by the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 2006, the Council of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India hereby issues the following guidelines:-
1. Introduction
1.1 The Institute of Company Secretaries of India, (the Institute) constituted under the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 (the Act) is a statutory body to develop and regulate the profession of company secretaries in India. Members of the Institute who hold the Certificate of Practice issued by it are authorised to practise the profession of Company Secretaries and these members are known as Company Secretaries in Practice.
1.2 The Council of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India at its 230th meeting held on 17th June, 2015 approved the following Guidelines for Use of Individual Logo by Company Secretaries in Practice.
1.3 The Guidelines herein, as issued by the Central Council of the Institute on 1st September, 2015 deal with the manner in which a Company Secretary in Practice can design and use their individual logo on letter head, visiting cards, uniform for the employees of their firm, websites, advertisement materials, name boards, other stationery, invoices, packing material, stickers, sponsorship material, etc.
1.4 Any non compliance or violation of these Guidelines as may be in force from time to time in any manner whatsoever shall be deemed to be an act of professional misconduct and the concerned member shall be liable to disciplinary proceedings under the Act.
2. Key Definitions
For the purposes of these Guidelines,
2.1 The “Act” means the Company Secretaries Act, 1980.
2.2 “Institute” means the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
2.3 “Advertisement or advertising” means advertisement or advertising in any mode including written, recorded, displayed communication through print or electronic mode or otherwise including in newspapers, journals, internet, online, websites, banners, letters, circulars issued, circulated or published in accordance with these guidelines.
2.4 “Brand” is the perceived emotional corporate image as a whole.
2.5 “Company Secretary in Practice” means a member of the Institute who is in the practice of the profession of Company Secretaries in terms of Section 2(2) of the Company Secretaries Act, 1980.
2.6 “Practice Unit” means a sole practitioner, partnership or any other entity of professional Company Secretaries as may be permitted by law and constituted under The Company Secretaries Act, 1980 and Regulations made thereunder.
2.7 “Identify” means the visual aspects that form part of the overall brand.
2.6 “Logo” is any visual construct that identifies a business in its simplest form via the use of a mark or icon or any word written in a particular manner or a combination of these. A logo identifies a company or product via the use of a mark, flag, symbol or signature.
2.7 “Tag Line” refers to a memorable phrase or sentence that is closely associated with a particular person, product, service, etc. It may be a reiterated phrase identified with an individual, group, product or service.
The terms not defined herein shall have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Company Secretaries Act, 1980, Trade Marks Act, 1999, Designs Act, 2000, Indian Copyright Act, 1957, The Emblems And Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and the rules and regulations made thereunder.
3. Logo for Members
3.1 The members of the Institute have been allowed to use the following logo on their visiting cards and letter head to indicate that an individual company secretary is a member of The Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
3.2 The Council of the Institute has laid down that while using the letters ‘CS’ on their letter heads and visiting cards, the company secretaries need to ensure that the width of the logo when used along with the name of the member should not be more than 125% of the size of the characters used for publishing the name. When the ‘CS’ logo is used as a standalone on visiting cards and letter heads then it should not exceed 1cm (0.39 inch) in height. The logo is to be printed in navy blue colour only.
3.3 The same logo may be used on the website of the firm of Company Secretaries in Practice, visiting cards, name boards and advertisements whether in print or electronic media.
3.4 If, for any reason, an individual’s membership should lapse or be cancelled, the logo must immediately be removed from any written, printed or electronic materials maintained, displayed or distributed.
3.5 The Logo for members cannot be modified, manipulated or changed in any way from its original design, nor can it be used as a feature or design element of any other logo (e.g. a PCS firm logo).
3.6 The CS member logo cannot be used to imply an endorsement by ICSI of any PCS firm or any practice group.
3.7 The CS Member logo is open only to individual Company Secretaries, not to firms of Company Secretaries in Practice. Therefore, use of the logo cannot imply membership in ICSI by a firm, only by an individual Company
Secretary.
3.8 ICSI reserves the right to monitor the use of the logo at all times and may direct a member who is in violation of these usage guidelines to remove the logo immediately at the member’s cost.
4. The Individual Logo
4.1 A logo is something very specific that one can see. It’s a mark, something graphic / visual. It is the face of the business. It’s like a small “ad” that can be put at various places for brand building. It can be used on business cards, websites, power point presentations, apparel, letterheads, stickers and more.
4.2 While designing the individual LOGO each member shall ensure the following:
(i) The Logo is not in contravention of the provisions of the Company Secretaries Act, 1980, Trade Marks Act, 1999, Designs Act, 2000, Indian Copyright Act, 1957, The Emblems And Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and the rules and regulations made thereunder.
(ii) The Logo is professional and gives a good impression about the Practice Unit.
(iii) The Logo of the Practice Unit is representative of the name of the Practice Unit or the services provided by the Practice Unit.
(iv) If any tag line is used along with the Logo then the tag line and the Logo are in cohesion.
(v) In case the Logo is used in a website or in a powerpoint presentation or in any digital media then it is either static or if animated the same is sober looking.
(vi) In case the logo is used in digital media and some music / jingle is attached to it, then the music should be soothing and should establish a connect with the logo.
(vii) The Logo shall be in compliance with the ethical principles enshrined in the Code of Conduct issued by the Institute.
(viii) The Logo shall conform to the highest levels of dignity and ethical behaviour.
(ix) The Logo is consistent with the core idea that make up the Practice Unit, showing what it stands for, what it believes in and why it exists.
(x) In case a particular typography is used in creating a Logo design, then such typography should be simple and legible.
(xi) The Logo is legible when used in any media such as newsprint, electronic media and mobile devices.
(xii) The Logo is not an imitation of an existing Logo of any organisation or brand.
(xiii) The development of the logo must be supported by an explanation / justification as to meaning, objectives of each word / design of logo, which shall be produced by the firm, on demand by the Institute.
4.3 Undesirable Logo
(1) The logo shall be considered undesirable, if it includes any word or words which are offensive to any section of the people;
(2) The logo shall also be considered undesirable, if‑
(i) the proposed logo is identical with or too nearly resembles the logo of a Practice Unit;
(ii) it is not in consonance with the principal objects of the practice unit
Provided that every logo need not be necessarily indicative of the objects of the Practice Unit, but when there is some indication of objects in the logo, then it shall be in conformity with the objects of Practice Unit;
(iii) it resembles closely the popular or abbreviated description of an existing Practice Unit;
(iv) the logo implies association or connection with embassy or consulate or a foreign government;
(v) the logo includes or implies association or connection with or patronage of a national hero or any person held in high esteem or important personages who occupied or are occupying important positions in Government;
(vi) the logo is identical to the logo of a Practice Unit dissolved as a result of liquidation proceeding and a period of two years have not elapsed from the date of such dissolution:
(vii) the logo include words such as ‘Insurance’, ‘Bank’, ‘Stock Exchange’, ‘Venture Capital’, ‘Asset Management’, ‘Nidhi’, ‘Mutual fund’ etc., unless a declaration is submitted by the applicant that the requirements mandated by the respective regulator, such as IRDA, RBI, SEBI, MCA etc. have been complied with by the applicant;
(viii) the proposed logo includes the word “State”,
(ix) it is intended or likely to produce a misleading impression regarding the scope or scale of its activities which would be beyond the resources at its disposal:
(3) The following words and combinations thereof shall not be used as part of a logo in English or any of the languages depicting the same meaning –
(a) Board;
(b) Commission;
(c) Authority;
(d) Undertaking;
(e) National;
(f) Union;
(g) Central;
(h) Federal;
(i) Republic;
(j) President;
(k) Rashtrapati;
(l) Small Scale Industries;
(m) Khadi and Village Industries Corporation;
(n) Financial, Corporation and the like;
(o) Municipal;
(p) Panchayat;
(q) Development Authority;
(r) Prime Minister or Chief Minister;
(s) Minister;
(t) Nation;
(u) Forest corporation;
(v) Development Scheme;
(w) Statute or Statutory;
(x) Court or Judiciary;
(y) Governor;
(z) the use of word Scheme with the name of Government (s), State, India, Bharat or any government authority or in any manner resembling with the schemes launched by Central, state or local Governments and authorities; and
(za) Bureau
4.4 Use of the individual LOGO
The individual logo may be used on‑
(i) Stationery (Letterhead, business cards, envelopes, etc.)
(ii) Branding Collateral (Flyers, brochures, books, website, etc.)
(iii) Apparel Design (Tangible clothing items that are worn by employees)
(iv) Signage (Interior & Exterior design)
(v) Messages & Actions (Messages conveyed via indirect or direct modes of communication)
(vi) Other Communication (Audio / video, etc.)
(vii) Anything visual that represents the business.
5. Disclaimer
The contents or design of the logo are the sole and exclusive responsibility of the member. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India shall not own any responsibility whatsoever for such contents or claims by the member.
6. Responsibility for the observance of these Guidelines
6.1 The responsibility for the observance of these guidelines lies with members who create, place or publish any Logo or assist in the creation or publishing of any Logo covered under these guidelines.
6.2 Members are expected not to commission, create, place or publish any Logo which is in contravention of these Guidelines. This is a self imposed discipline required to be observed by all those involved in the commissioning, creation, placement or publishing of Logo(s).
7. EFFECTIVE DATE:
7.1 These guidelines become effective from 1st September, 2015.
By order of the Council
