Protect and Respect Intellectual Property

Intellectual property includes creative work and ideas that belong to an individual or organization.  The intellectual property of the Postal Service™ is one of the organization’s most valuable assets, and protecting it prevents others from exploiting our property without permission.

It’s also important to protect the intellectual property of others.  Violating intellectual property rights may incur legal liability and damage our organization’s reputation.

You can help protect intellectual property in several ways:

• Use Postal Service logos, images, and written materials only as authorized.
• Protect confidential information and original work created by our organization.
• Do not copy or share trademarked or copyrighted content without permission or the appropriate license.
• Give credit when required and follow copyright and trademark rules.
• When you’re unsure whether you can use something, ask a Law Department intellectual property attorney before using it.

Respecting intellectual property is about protecting creativity, honoring ownership, and maintaining trust.  By safeguarding Postal Service work and respecting the rights of others, every employee helps protect our reputation and uphold our values.

And that’s smart business.

To learn more about the USPS brand, visit MyHR and take the USPS Brand Standards training.

Gifts Between Employees

• When it comes to gifts between employees, proceed with caution.
• Generally, an employee should not give a gift to a manager or higher-paid colleague. Likewise, a gift should not be accepted from a subordinate or lowerpaid employee.
• There are exceptions. A non-cash gift worth $10 or less to a manager, occasionally, such as on birthdays or holidays, is OK.
• Another exception is a cash gift to a manager on a special occasion, such as a marriage, birth, adoption, retirement, or resignation.

It’s all about avoiding complaints of favoritism or harassment, and creating a cohesive, productive workforce.

And that’s smart business.

Contact the Ethics Office (ethics.help@usps.gov) for more guidance.