Why do we use the word Snowflakes®? When Nightlight’s former president, Ron Stoddart, conceived of the idea of embryo adoption in 1997, he coined the term Snowflakes. Ron told people that embryos, like snowflakes, are “tiny, frozen, unique, and a gift from above.” Shortly thereafter, Ron secured a trademark for Nightlight’s embryo adoption program with the word Snowflakes®.
For the following twenty years, Nightlight worked with the US Department of Health and Human Services, through an embryo adoption awareness grant, to help build and establish other embryo adoption programs. We helped other people (including some former clients) start their own embryo programs because we strive for every embryo to have a chance at life!
However, we also have simultaneously worked to differentiate our own program’s unique values (an adoption agency model, life at conception, etc.). Therefore, we have also protected the trademark of the term Snowflakes. When the media uses the term Snowflakes, reporters include a footnote that “Snowflakes® is a registered trademark of Nightlight Christian Adoptions.”
Other embryo programs have avoided using the term Snowflakes in order to prevent confusion and to promote differentiation. Nevertheless, the security of Nightlight’s trademark on this term has been tested. In the lawsuit Nightlight v. DotRenegade, the court upheld Nightlight’s usage of the word Snowflakes in reference to embryos.
Daniel Nehrbass, Ph.D. | President