GIBQ Verified Seal Usage Policy
Document No.: GIBQ-002 Version: 1.3 Effective date: September 23, 2026 Published at: gibq.org/seal-policy/v1.3 Supersedes: Version 1.2, which remains available at gibq.org/seal-policy/v1.2 Issued by: GIBQ Operations LLC
1. Purpose and Scope
1.1 This Policy governs how certified vendors may use the marks of the GIBQ certification program: the Badge, the Seal, and the Print Icon, together with the names GIBQ™ and GIBQ Verified™. The integrity of GIBQ certification depends on consistent, accurate use of these marks.
1.2 This Policy is incorporated into the GIBQ Vendor Verification Agreement, Version 2.1 (the "Agreement"). Capitalized terms not defined here have the meanings given in the Agreement and in the GIBQ Certification Procedures, Version 1.1 (the "Procedures"). If this Policy conflicts with the Agreement or the Procedures, those documents control, except on artwork specifications and placement detail.
1.3 The marks are unregistered trademarks of GIBQ Operations LLC. Common-law rights are claimed.
1.4 This Policy is GIBQ's complete set of brand and mark usage rules for certified vendors. GIBQ does not publish a separate brand guidelines document, and no other document, file, or kit authorizes any use of the GIBQ marks.
2. The GIBQ Marks and Where Each May Be Used
2.1 Each mark has one surface. A vendor may not use a mark on a surface assigned to a different mark.
| Mark | What it is | Where it may be used | How it is displayed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Print Icon | The GIBQ shield design alone, with no words and no certificate number, always printed with the Registry Pointer ("gibq.org") directly beneath it; an optional Registry QR Code may be printed beside it | Physical labels and packaging of Covered Products | Printed by the vendor from the artwork files GIBQ supplies, after GIBQ approves the label proof |
| Seal | The GIBQ shield with "GIBQ Verified" and the certificate number, reflecting current Status | The vendor's own product pages for Covered Products | Hotlinked embed from gibq.org only |
| Badge | The GIBQ Verified badge with the certificate number, reflecting current Status | The vendor's own website generally | Hotlinked embed from gibq.org only |
2.2 The Seal and the Badge are served by GIBQ and change automatically to reflect the certificate's current Status. The Print Icon is printed at a point in time and does not change. That is why the Registry, not the Print Icon, is the authoritative record of a vendor's Status (Section 10).
3. Conditions for Any Use
A vendor may use a GIBQ mark only while all of the following are true:
(a) the vendor holds a Certificate whose Status is Active, except for the sale of Labeled Inventory Section 11 permits; (b) the use relates only to Covered Products, as listed in the Registry, or, for the Badge and text statements, to the vendor's Certification Status generally; (c) the vendor has accepted the Agreement, and for the Print Icon, has affirmatively accepted Version 2.1 of the Agreement; and (d) the use complies with this Policy, including the Required Disclosures in Section 7.
4. The Badge — Websites Generally
4.1 Hotlink only. The Badge may be displayed only by the embed code GIBQ supplies, loaded from gibq.org. It may not be downloaded, saved, screenshotted, re-created, hosted, cached, or modified.
4.2 Where. On the vendor's own website: for example, the home page, an "About" or "Quality" page, the site footer, or checkout pages.
4.3 Product pages for products that are not Covered Products. A site-wide Badge, for example in a footer, may appear on these pages. It may not be placed within the product information area of any product that is not a Covered Product.
4.4 Link. The Badge must remain linked to the vendor's gibq.org verification page as supplied.
5. The Seal — Product Pages for Covered Products
5.1 Hotlink only. The Seal may be displayed only by the embed code GIBQ supplies for that vendor's certificate, loaded from gibq.org. The same restrictions as Section 4.1 apply.
5.2 Where. Only on the vendor's own product page for a Covered Product, within or next to the product information area, and not more than once per page. On a page offering a bundle or kit, the Seal may appear only if every product in the bundle or kit is a Covered Product.
5.3 Certificate number. The Seal displays the vendor's certificate number in the format GIBQ-YYYY-NNNN. The number may not be removed, hidden, or altered.
5.4 Required Disclosure. Every product page that displays the Seal, or a photograph in which the Print Icon is visible, must display the Long-Form Disclosure as Section 7 requires.
6. The Print Icon — Physical Labels and Packaging
6.1 Artwork. Only the artwork files GIBQ supplies may be used, in their most recent versions. They are supplied to the Authorized Representative after the certificate is issued and the vendor has accepted Version 2.1 of the Agreement. GIBQ supplies two files:
(a) the Print Icon lockup: the Print Icon with the Registry Pointer, the text "gibq.org," set directly beneath it as a single artwork unit; and
(b) the Registry QR Code: a QR code encoding exactly https://gibq.org/certified-vendors, which the vendor may use optionally.
Approved color versions of the lockup are:
- full color, exactly as supplied;
- single-color black; and
- single-color white, reversed out of a solid dark background.
The Registry QR Code must be printed in black or another dark color on a white or light background, and may not be printed reversed.
6.2 The icon itself has no words or numbers. The Print Icon is the shield design alone. No words, certificate number, date, or other text may be added to it, placed inside it, or attached to it, other than the Registry Pointer beneath it as supplied in the lockup. The ™ designation included in the supplied artwork is part of the artwork and may not be removed.
6.3 The Registry Pointer is mandatory. Every Print Icon, on every vial, label, and piece of packaging, must be printed with the Registry Pointer directly beneath it, using the supplied lockup. The Print Icon may never be printed without it.
6.4 Minimum sizes and clear space.
| Element | Minimum | Other requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Print Icon | 5 mm tall | — |
| Registry Pointer ("gibq.org") | 5-point type, with the lowercase letters (such as "o" and "r") at least 1.2 mm tall | Centered directly beneath the icon at the spacing in the supplied lockup. Because the lockup is scaled as one unit, printing the icon at or above its minimum size keeps the Pointer at or above its minimum. |
| Clear space around the lockup | At least one quarter of the icon's height on all sides | Free of all other text, graphics, and codes |
| Registry QR Code (optional) | 12 mm × 12 mm, not counting the quiet zone | A light quiet zone at least four QR modules wide on every side |
6.5 Registry QR Code placement. If used, the Registry QR Code:
(a) goes beside the lockup, to its left or right, on the same label panel and outside the lockup's clear space; (b) must never be placed inside the Print Icon, overlap it, or be attached to it; (c) must be the GIBQ-supplied file, unaltered. The vendor may not generate its own QR code for this purpose, change the encoded address, add a logo or image to the code, or place any other QR code or barcode beside the Print Icon; and (d) must scan successfully, on the actual printed container, before the vendor places the first print order (Section 6.8).
A vendor's own QR codes or barcodes, for example linking to its own certificates of analysis, are permitted elsewhere on the label, but not beside the lockup or within its clear space.
6.6 No alteration. The Print Icon, the Registry Pointer, and the Registry QR Code may not be recolored except as Section 6.1 permits. They may not be stretched, rotated, cropped, outlined, shadowed, animated, combined with any other mark, or incorporated into the vendor's own name, logo, or product name.
6.7 Placement. The Print Icon may appear only:
(a) on the label of a Covered Product, or on the outer packaging (box, carton, or pouch) of a Covered Product; (b) on a label that identifies the product as for research use only and not for human or animal consumption; and (c) no larger than the vendor's own brand name or logo on the same label, so that the vendor, not GIBQ, is identified as the seller; and (d) with the Registry Pointer directly beneath it, as Section 6.3 requires.
6.8 Label proof approval. Before the first print run of any label or packaging design bearing the Print Icon, the vendor must email a proof to certification@gibq.org and receive written approval. GIBQ responds within 10 business days after receiving a complete proof. If the label uses the Registry QR Code, the vendor must confirm with the proof that the code scans successfully to gibq.org/certified-vendors from a printed sample on the actual container, and GIBQ may request the sample. A new proof is required whenever the design changes in any way that affects the Print Icon, the Registry Pointer, the Registry QR Code, the product name, or the Required Disclosures. Approval confirms only compliance with this Policy.
6.9 Not permitted. The Print Icon may not appear on shipping cartons that are not product packaging, invoices, business cards, promotional items, advertising, signage, vehicles, or any product that is not a Covered Product.
6.10 No digital use. The Print Icon artwork may not be displayed digitally, on any website, listing, marketplace, social media account, advertisement, or email. The only exception is photographs of physically labeled Covered Products on the vendor's own product pages for those Covered Products. Photographs showing the Print Icon may not be used on third-party marketplaces or in advertising.
6.11 Printers and packagers. The vendor may give the artwork file to its label printer or packager only to print labels and packaging for its Covered Products. The vendor must require them to use the file for no other purpose and to delete it on request. The vendor is responsible for their use of it.
6.12 Quality control and first-use records. The vendor must provide, on request and within 14 days, photographs or physical samples of labels and packaging bearing the Print Icon and information about where and in what quantities they were printed. Within 10 business days after first shipping a Covered Product bearing the Print Icon to a customer, the vendor must send GIBQ dated photographs of the labeled product and the date and destination state or country of that first shipment.
7. Required Disclosures
7.1 Purpose. The GIBQ program certifies a vendor's documentation. It does not test or certify the contents of any vial or container. The Required Disclosures prevent any buyer from reading the Print Icon or the Seal as a statement about what is inside a particular product.
7.2 Long-Form Disclosure. The Long-Form Disclosure reads, word for word:
About the GIBQ™ shield. The GIBQ shield indicates that the seller's documentation for this product, including its Certificates of Analysis, was audited by GIBQ Operations LLC against the GIBQ 7-Point Standard. GIBQ does not test products and does not certify the contents of any vial or container. The shield on a label does not show whether the seller is currently certified; check current status at gibq.org/certified-vendors. For research use only. Not for human or animal consumption.
7.3 Short-Form Disclosure. The Short-Form Disclosure reads, word for word:
GIBQ™ shield: seller's documentation audited by GIBQ. Contents not tested by GIBQ. Check status: gibq.org/certified-vendors
7.4 Where each Required Disclosure must appear.
| Surface | Required Disclosure | Placement and legibility |
|---|---|---|
| Product page displaying the Seal, or a photograph in which the Print Icon is visible | Long-Form | Immediately next to or directly below the Seal (or the photograph, if no Seal), visible without clicking, opening a tab, or expanding a section. Type no smaller than the page's body text. |
| Packaging insert | Long-Form | Every shipment that contains any product bearing the Print Icon must include at least one printed insert bearing the Long-Form Disclosure. One insert per shipment is sufficient. Type no smaller than 8 point. |
| Outer packaging (box, carton, or pouch) bearing the Print Icon | Short-Form | On the same panel as the Print Icon. Type no smaller than 6 point. |
| Vial or container label | Registry Pointer | "gibq.org" printed directly beneath the Print Icon, as supplied in the lockup (Sections 6.3 and 6.4). The Registry QR Code may be added beside it (Section 6.5). |
7.5 No contradicting statements. No statement on the same page, label, packaging, or insert may contradict, qualify, or obscure a Required Disclosure.
8. Text References and Approved Statements
8.1 Approved statements. A vendor with an Active certificate may refer to its certification in text only by the following statements, using its own certificate number:
- "GIBQ Verified™ — Certificate GIBQ-YYYY-NNNN"
- "Our product documentation has been audited by GIBQ against the GIBQ 7-Point Standard. Verify our status at gibq.org/certified-vendors."
- "GIBQ Verified™ documentation. For research use only."
8.2 Where text statements may be used. On the vendor's own website, in emails to its customers, on the vendor's own social media accounts, and in press releases announcing certification. In each case the certificate number must appear with the statement. Text statements may not be used in paid advertising.
8.3 Attribution. Any page, email, or release that uses a GIBQ mark or text statement must include, in legible type in the footer or near the mark:
GIBQ™, GIBQ Verified™, and the GIBQ shield design are trademarks of GIBQ Operations LLC, used under license. GIBQ audits documentation only and does not test products.
8.4 First reference. The first prominent text reference to GIBQ or GIBQ Verified on a page must carry the ™ symbol.
9. Prohibited Uses
The GIBQ marks and any reference to GIBQ certification may not be used:
(a) by a vendor that does not hold a certificate, or whose certificate is not Active, except for the sale of Labeled Inventory Section 11 permits; (b) for any product that is not a Covered Product; (c) in any modified, re-created, self-hosted, or screenshotted form, other than the printed Print Icon as Section 6 permits; (d) by printing the Print Icon without the Registry Pointer, or placing beside the Print Icon any QR code other than the GIBQ-supplied Registry QR Code; (e) to state or imply that GIBQ tested, analyzed, inspected, or verified any product, or that the Print Icon, the Seal, the Badge, or certification certifies the contents, identity, purity, potency, or quality of any vial, container, lot, or batch; (f) to state or imply FDA approval, pharmaceutical-grade, clinical-grade, or medical-grade classification, or any regulatory authorization; (g) to compare any product to a pharmaceutical drug or brand; (h) in connection with any statement promoting or suggesting human or animal consumption, dosing, or administration; (i) to state or imply that GIBQ endorses, recommends, or has a business relationship with the vendor beyond certification; (j) in paid advertising, domain names, social media handles, or product names; or (k) with the registered-trademark symbol, until GIBQ gives written notice that the particular mark is federally registered.
10. Verification by Buyers
10.1 The Registry is authoritative. The GIBQ Registry at gibq.org/certified-vendors is the authoritative record of every vendor's certification Status and of which products are Covered Products. It can be searched by vendor name and brand name. If any label, display, statement, or document conflicts with the Registry, the Registry controls.
10.2 What the Print Icon does and does not show. The Registry Pointer ("gibq.org") and any Registry QR Code printed with the Print Icon direct buyers to the Registry. A Print Icon on a label shows that the label was designed for use in the GIBQ program. It does not show that the seller is certified today, that the particular product is a Covered Product, or anything about the contents of the container. Buyers should confirm the seller's current Status in the Registry.
10.3 Counterfeits. GIBQ does not verify individual units. A product bearing the Print Icon from a seller that does not appear in the Registry as Active, or whose brand does not appear in the Registry, should not be relied on as coming from a certified vendor. Suspected counterfeit or unauthorized use should be reported under Section 13.
11. Changes in Certification Status
11.1 Digital marks. The Badge and the Seal update automatically. During suspension or appeal, the vendor must leave the embed code in place. After revocation, expiration, or withdrawal, the vendor must remove all digital uses of GIBQ marks and every photograph in which the Print Icon is visible within 10 business days (Procedures §14.2).
11.2 Printing stops immediately. When a certificate is no longer Active for any reason, including suspension, the vendor must immediately stop applying the Print Icon to new labels and packaging and stop ordering printing that bears it.
11.3 Labeled Inventory. Products labeled with the Print Icon before the certificate stopped being Active may be sold only within these periods (Procedures §14.3):
| Status | Sell-off period |
|---|---|
| Suspended or Under Appeal | Sales may continue, except as the last row provides |
| Expired | 90 days |
| Withdrawn | 90 days |
| Revoked (most grounds) | 60 days after the revocation becomes final |
| Revoked for fabricated or altered documents, improper payments, or a final government order (Procedures §10.2) | None, from the date of the revocation notice |
At any time, a vendor may sell units on which the Print Icon has been permanently covered by an opaque label or removed.
11.4 After the sell-off period. Selling or distributing a product bearing the Print Icon after the applicable period is unauthorized use of GIBQ's marks and infringes GIBQ's rights in them. It is also a ground for declining any future application from the vendor or from any entity under common control with it (Agreement §14.4; Procedures §14.7).
12. Trademark Symbol Protocol
12.1 Current. All GIBQ marks are unregistered. Use ™ only.
12.2 After registration. GIBQ will give certified vendors written notice when any particular mark becomes federally registered. After that notice:
(a) the Badge and the Seal will be updated by GIBQ automatically; (b) GIBQ will supply updated Print Icon artwork, which the vendor must use for any print run ordered more than 90 days after the notice; (c) labels already printed with ™ may continue to be used and sold; and (d) text references must switch to the registered-trademark symbol for that mark within 90 days.
Registration of one mark does not change the symbol for any other mark.
13. Reporting Misuse
Report suspected misuse, including counterfeit labels, to certification@gibq.org with the subject line "Seal Misuse Report." Where possible, include photographs, the seller's name and website, and where and when the product was obtained.
14. Enforcement
14.1 Misuse of a digital mark, or failure to display a Required Disclosure on a website, is subject to a 10-business-day cure period after notice (Agreement §13.3(e)).
14.2 Misuse on printed labels or packaging must be stopped, and a correction plan provided, within 10 business days after notice. Every affected unit in the vendor's possession or control must be covered or withdrawn from sale within 30 days (Procedures §14.6).
14.3 Uncured misuse is a ground for suspension and revocation under the Agreement and the Procedures. GIBQ may also notify platforms, marketplaces, and resellers, and pursue legal remedies.
14.4 Revocation may be appealed within 30 days under Procedures §11. Declined applications, suspensions, and label proof decisions are not appealable.
15. Contact
GIBQ Certification GIBQ Operations LLC 70 Middle Neck Road, Suite 5, Great Neck, NY 11021 certification@gibq.org
16. Revision History
| Version | Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | April 2026 | Initial publication |
| 1.1 | September 2026 | Certificate number format updated |
| 1.2 | September 2026 | Aligned with Certification Procedures v1.0 |
| 1.3 | September 23, 2026 | Establishes three marks by surface: Print Icon (physical labels, printed), Seal (product pages, hotlinked), and Badge (websites, hotlinked). Requires the Registry Pointer ("gibq.org") beneath every Print Icon and permits an optional GIBQ-supplied Registry QR Code beside it, with minimum sizes. Adds label proof approval, artwork and placement rules, Required Disclosures, labeled-inventory sell-off periods, the trademark symbol protocol, and verification through gibq.org/certified-vendors. Removes the certificate number and date requirement for physical packaging; removes graphic marks from marketing materials, digital advertising, and press releases (approved text statements remain permitted in press releases); prohibits paid advertising. Consolidates the brand and mark usage guidelines into this Policy (§1.4). Aligned with Agreement v2.1 and Procedures v1.1. |