Legal
Policies to protect both the community we serve and our work
Photo releases
At United Network for Organ Sharing, we are required to collect releases from individuals and organizations whenever we use feature them in our materials. This includes photos, video and audio used on our websites, social media, educational brochures, fundraising materials and any other channel we use to promote UNOS, our programs or organ donation and transplantation.
When capturing photo, video or audio, releases vary depending on situation:
- Standard — Use the standard release for one to five individuals.
- Group — Use the group release for six or more individuals from the same organization. If content contains multiple people from multiple organizations, use the group release for each organization.
- Events — Use signage that informs participants that, by entering the event premises, individuals provide their consent. Contact Communications for more information.
Please email signed releases to Communications for storage.
Trademarks, servicemarks, and copyrights
The first use rule of trademarks/servicemarks: You only need the first instance of UNet appended with a SM if you have more than one occurrence of that entity in the same body of content.
Use trademarks and servicemarks:
- DonorNet®
- DonorNet MobileSM
- KPDSM
- TIEDI®
- TransNetSM
- UNetSM
- UNetSM APIs
- WaitlistSM
No trademarks or servicemarks currently:
- Data Portal
- KPD Pilot
- Offer Filters
- Safety Portal
- Secure Enterprise
- Security Administration
Copyright for content on public websites
Publishing content on our public websites implies copyrighted status. No one can legally use a drawing or diagram on our site without UNOS's permission once we have created and/or published it on the website.
Additional ways to assert copyright and frustrate attempts to use content without permission include:
- language such as Copyright UNOS (2021)
- a watermark
- coding protection
Regardless of the technical protections, the creation of the copyright is complete once the work has been created. The additional measures simply help protect the work from unauthorized duplication by making it more difficult to misuse.
How to describe UNOS and the OPTN
Boilerplate text for UNOS private initiatives
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the mission-driven non-profit serving as the nation’s transplant system under contract with the federal government. We lead the network of transplant hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and thousands of volunteers who are dedicated to honoring the gifts of life entrusted to us and to making lifesaving transplants possible for patients in need. Working together, we leverage data and advances in science and technology to continuously strengthen the system, increase the number of organs recovered and the number of transplants performed, and ensure patients across the nation have equitable access to transplant.
Boilerplate text for UNOS work done as OPTN contractor
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is a non-profit, charitable organization that serves as the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) under contract with the federal government. The OPTN helps create and define organ allocation and distribution policies that make the best use of donated organs. This process involves continuously evaluating new advances and discoveries so policies can be adapted to best serve patients waiting for transplants. All transplant programs and organ procurement organizations throughout the country are OPTN members and are obligated to follow the policies the OPTN creates for allocating organs.
Legal disclaimers
UNOS has a comprehensive policies & terms statement, which includes our privacy policy, terms of use, systems access agreement and policy for user-generated content.