Trademark Protection

The ECVDI provides the highest level of professional competence in the field of veterinary diagnostic imaging for the welfare of animals, and related to them to their owners, treating veterinary surgeons and the general public at large in Europe. To protect the integrity of our organisation and members and the standards of our services, we have trademark protected a number of titles with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

Until 2016 these trademarks were titled as Community Trademarks (CTM) and since then they are titled as European Union Trademarks (EUTM).

In 2015 the titles European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging® (CTM 013075601) and ECVDI® (CTM 013075304) were secured by the ECVDI. As a result of this, these titles can only be used by our College and its members. In 2017, we also successfully secured the titles European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging® (EUTM 015634348) and European Specialist in Veterinary Radiology® (EUTM 015634371). As a result of this, only members of our College are entitled to use these titles. However, use of the specialist titles also requires certified status as a Diplomate.
The European Board of Veterinary Specialists (EBVS), which is the mother organisation of all European Veterinary Specialisation Colleges, has protected its logo as a figurative trademark (EUTM 000570465) and its title EBVS® (EUTM 016440844) as a wordmark. Because all ECVDI members are also automatically EBVS members, ECVDI members are entitled to use both the EBVS title and logo.

When using any of these titles, it is important to do so with the trademark symbol ®. Only this way can the protected status be guaranteed.

Regardless of trademark protection, the EBVS maintains a list of titles in its Policies and Procedures that can be used by certified EBVS members. These titles are for the ECVDI: EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging and EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation Oncology. Only certified ECVDI Diplomats are entitled to use these specialist titles. At the moment the European Specialist in Veterinary Radiology is not included on the EBVS list and therefore should not the be used in combination with the term EBVS.

Therefore, the current options for ECVDI members are as follows in terms of use of titles:

Any ECVDI member can use:

European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging®
ECVDI®
EBVS®
The logos:

and

Any certified ECVDI member can use:

European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging®
EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging®
European Specialist in Veterinary Radiology®

And finally, any certified ECVDI member with a Rad Onc add-on qualification can use:

European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging® and Radiation Oncology
EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging® and Radiation Oncology
European Specialist in Veterinary Radiology® and Radiation Oncology

It is hoped that in the near future the current discrepancies in title use between the ECVDI and the EBVS can be resolved. In the meantime, all ECVDI members are encouraged to use and display their hard-earned titles and affiliations with the ECVDI and the EBVS in communications.

Tobias Schwarz, ECVDI EBVS Representative, Edinburgh 12.6.2018