As we reported a few months ago, the Naturopathic National Council (NNC) has made two claims that are of interest to ANCB practitioners and naturopaths everywhere. ANCB has received new information on these issues and we’d like to update you.

Review

NNC’s two main claims were:

That NNC is the sole licensing authority for naturopaths
That NNC has a federal trademark and exclusive ownership of the title "Doctor of Naturopathy, N.D."

In pursuit of these claims, NNC tried to prevent several states from issuing licenses using the title Doctor of Naturopathy, N.D., or similar titles, and they also claimed that all traditional naturopaths must obtain a license from NNC.

Status of NNC’s Claims

NNC’s claims have not been substantiated. NNC is not the exclusive licensing authority for naturopaths, and it does not own the Doctor of Naturopathy title. Despite the NNC’s claims, it cannot force you to obtain an NNC license. Neither can NNC prevent you from displaying your college degree with the "Doctor of Naturopathy, N.D." title or prevent you from practicing.

NNC’s Actual Rights

The only trademark NNC has registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office is for the organization’s name, "Naturopathic National Council, Inc." (The name is registered as a “certification mark.”) This simply means that others cannot use this name (or similar names) without permission from the NNC.

While the NNC has applied for trademark registration on other terms ("Doctor of Naturopathy, N.D." and "Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine"), it has not yet been successful in registering these trademarks. Generally, titles and degrees (such as professor, professional engineer, JD, CPA, or MD) are not eligible for trademark registration because they convey personal information about the individual, rather than describing services rendered by the person.

Conclusion

NNC has no authority over traditional naturopaths (except for those who want to use the phrase “Naturopathic National Council” in conjunction with their practice) and no control over the use of the titles “Doctor of Naturopathy” or “N.D.” NNC cannot require you to obtain a license to practice naturopathy or to use the title naturopath or “Doctor of Naturopathy, N.D.”