If you’ve created a logo in Canva for your small business, you’ve probably wondered: “Do I actually own this?” “Can I trademark this” These questions come up constantly, and for good reason. Your logo is the face of your business, and the last thing you want is to build your brand on shaky legal ground. We’ve written about using Canva to make a logo before here and here.
Let’s clear up the confusion once and for all. There’s Australian info about trademarks here
The Short Answer It Depends on What You Used
Here’s the reality whether you can trademark your Canva logo depends entirely on how you created it. It’s not some sneaky clause hidden in Canva’s terms and conditions. The issue is actually pretty straightforward once you understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
The Problem with Templates and Stock Content
Canva’s appeal is its massive library of templates, graphics, icons, and design elements. The catch? You don’t own any of that content. You’re simply licensing it, along with millions of other Canva users.
When you use a Canva logo template or include stock graphics from their library, you’re creating something that’s not unique to you. Other businesses can use the exact same template or elements. This creates a fundamental problem for trademark registration: distinctiveness.
For a trademark to be registrable, it must be distinctive enough that customers can identify it with your business alone. If someone else could create an identical or nearly identical logo using the same publicly available Canva template, your logo fails this basic requirement.
What About Creating Your Own Design in Canva?
This is where people get confused. You might think: “But I drew it myself using Canva as just a tool, like using Photoshop or Illustrator. Surely I own it then?”
Logically, you’d be right. And actually, you are right, with one important distinction.
If you create a completely original logo in Canva using only:
- Basic shapes and lines from the free library
- Your own uploaded images or artwork
- Canva’s fonts (all fonts are fair game)
- No stock photos, graphics, or template elements
Then yes, you can potentially own and trademark that logo. You’ve used Canva as a design tool, not as a source of licensed content. That’s a crucial difference.
The Real Risk Most People Miss
The bigger issue isn’t whether you technically can trademark something you created in Canva. It’s whether you should build your brand identity using a platform where:
- Verification is difficult: How do you prove to trademark examiners that you didn’t use any stock elements?
- Uniqueness is uncertain: Even if you think you created something original, someone else might have created something very similar using the same tools
- Professional standards matter: Trademark attorneys and examiners know that Canva logos often look similar, which can raise red flags during the application process
What Should You Do Instead?
If you’re serious about building a long-term brand that you can protect and own outright, invest in a properly designed logo. This doesn’t necessarily mean spending thousands of dollars, but it does mean
- Working with a designer who will assign full copyright to you in writing
- Using original artwork created specifically for your business
- Getting a logo that’s truly distinctive in your marketplace
- Having clear documentation of ownership
Think of it this way, your logo will be on everything from your website to your business cards, from your social media profiles to your product packaging. It’s worth getting it right from the start rather than discovering trademark issues after you’ve already built recognition.
The Guts of it
Canva is a fantastic tool for creating marketing materials, social media posts, and quick graphics. But when it comes to your core brand identity—the logo that will represent your business for years to come—you need something you can fully own and protect.
Canvas terms are actually quite fair and transparent. The company simply can’t grant exclusive rights to content that’s available to all users. That’s a perfectly reasonable business model for a design platform.
But for your business logo? You deserve better than “non-exclusive rights.” You deserve complete ownership. Your brand is too important at least it should be, to compromise on this one thing.
So if you’ve already created a logo in Canva, now’s the time to invest in a proper, trademarkable version. Your future self (and your lawyer) will thank you.
If you have made a logo yourself and you want feedback check out this service.
