This policy governs the MPFREE mark itself — the licensed artwork, where and how it may appear, and what a licensee must do when a certification's status changes. It is separate from the Claims Policy, which governs the words used alongside the mark. A use of the seal can violate this policy even when the accompanying text is perfectly scoped and compliant — for example, using the correct mark on a product it was never licensed for.
A seal license is granted per certification — one specific product, at one specific tier, tested against one specific Standard version — not per organization and not per product line. An organization with three certified products holds three separate seal licenses. Using the seal on a fourth, uncertified product in the same line, on shared packaging, or on shelf signage that doesn't distinguish certified from uncertified items, is a licensing violation regardless of whether the accompanying text is accurate.
Only the current, unmodified seal artwork provided at license grant may be used — for the tier actually certified (MPFREE Product, MPFREE Process (Agricultural), MPFREE Process (Manufacturing), or MPFREE Complete). The mark may not be recolored, stretched, rotated, or combined with another organization's logo in a way that could imply co-certification or endorsement. If the Standard version a certification was tested under is superseded, MPFREE will notify the licensee whether the existing artwork remains valid or requires an update — a licensee should not assume old artwork stays current indefinitely.
Every physical or packaging use of the seal must be paired with a scannable QR code or printed seal number that resolves in the public registry to that specific certification. A seal graphic with no paired identifier is not a valid use under this policy — it's indistinguishable from a counterfeit to a consumer scanning it, which defeats the entire purpose of the mark (see how verification works).
The mark must be reproduced at a size where its paired QR code or seal number remains legible and scannable at normal reading distance, with clear space around it free of competing claims or graphics. It may not be placed in a way that visually attaches it to an uncertified product, ingredient, or claim on the same packaging or page.
This is the enforcement mechanism that makes a revoked or suspended certification mean something in practice, not just in the registry's database. It runs on a fixed clock from the certification event, not from when a licensee gets around to it:
“Digital” covers the licensee’s own website, social media, and paid advertising — anywhere the licensee controls the update directly. The longer packaging window exists because physical inventory already in the supply chain can't be recalled overnight; it does not extend to any packaging printed after the suspension or revocation date.
If a suspension is lifted, the seal license resumes immediately — no new application is required, and the certification's public event history shows both the suspension and the reinstatement. A revoked certification is different: the seal license does not resume, and using the mark again requires a new application under Apply for Certification.
MPFREE may terminate a seal license independent of the underlying certification’s status in cases of misuse — for example, use on an uncertified product, use without a paired verifiable identifier, or continued use past the removal windows in Section 5. Continued use after termination is treated as unauthorized use of the mark, separate from and in addition to any claims-policy violation in the accompanying text.