A simple red cross against a white background: everyone knows help is on the way.

The Red Cross emblem dates back more than 150 years and has become a symbol of humanitarian services around the world. The trademark is so revered that it is even protected by legislation which allows for imprisonment of anyone found to have used it fraudulently (a rarity in trademark law).

Every day, Red Cross teams all over work to help under the shelter of the trademark in areas experiencing disaster, health emergencies, and armed conflict. The universally recognized red cross helps workers to gain instantaneous trust from and access to those in need. Because the symbol has been seen in some regions as religious, political, or culturally specific, the red crescent and red crystal were added in recent times by the Geneva Conventions as symbols which signify Red Cross organizations. Today there are 192 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the globe using these trademarks to signify their work.

Red Cross teams are currently in the news for their efforts in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Red Cross has already distributed more than 30,000 food and hygiene parcels and assisted with the evacuation of people with disabilities in the region. In one evening alone, Red Cross teams in Ukraine provided food and necessities to over 8,000 people sheltering in subway stations during shelling and first aid training to approximately 2,000 in metro stations and bomb shelters. The Polish Red Cross is assisting people at the border, and Red Cross teams in neighboring countries (including Russia) are also helping displaced people.

The national and international protections afforded to the red cross, red crescent and red crystal trademarks allow for relief to be delivered in countless ways around the world, perhaps one of the greatest uses of a trademark ever known.

If you are interested in ways to provide relief and assistance in Ukraine, Red Cross is an excellent resource.