[02] A traffic control device design or application shall not be eligible for official experimentation (see Section 1B.05) or interim approval (see Section 1B.07) unless it is in the public domain. Express abandonment of any and all forms of proprietary protection, such as patents, trademarks, or copyrights, related to the design and application of the traffic control device shall satisfy the requirement for the traffic control device to be in the public domain.
[03] The requirement for the traffic control device to be in the public domain shall not apply to individual components used in the assembly or manufacture of the traffic control device.
Support:
[04] The limitation on patented, trademarked, or copyrighted traffic control devices, applies to the message that the device conveys to the road user. If a patent or other protection covers the device’s communication to the road user by virtue of its appearance, audible message, or other aspects of the message conveyed (such as the order in which traffic control signal indications change from green to yellow and red), then the device is considered to be protected and not in the public domain. Such a device is precluded from inclusion in this Manual. The purpose of this limitation is to ensure uniformity of the messaging of individually approved traffic control devices. This limitation does not apply to other aspects of a device (such as internal controls, circuitry, electronics, mechanics, or housing) so long as the appearance, audible message, or other aspects of the message conveyed, including the manner of conveyance, remain freely reproducible by all without infringing on any proprietary rights or interests. This Manual does not prohibit such other aspects of a traffic control device that meet the legal requirements from being protected through patent, trademark, or copyright; and does not restrict components, parts, manufacturing processes, or similar aspects of traffic control devices from being patented or otherwise protected. Examples of acceptable protected traffic control device components or parts might include: sign sheeting or retroreflectivity technology, internal electronic components of traffic signal controllers, and breakaway sign support mechanisms.
[05] Pictographs, as defined in Section 1C.02, are embedded in traffic control devices, but the pictographs themselves are not considered traffic control devices for the purposes of Paragraph 4 of this Section.
[06] Business identification logos, as defined in Section 1C.02, are embedded in traffic control devices, but the logos themselves are not considered traffic control devices for the purposes of Paragraph 4 of this Section.
Section 1D.07 Advertising
Standard:
[01] Traffic control devices or their supports shall not bear any advertising message or any other message that is not related to traffic control.
Support:
[02] Acknowledgment signs (see Section 2H.13), Specific Service signs (see Chapter 2J), and Tourist-Oriented Directional signs (see Chapter 2K) are not considered advertising.
Section 1D.08 Abbreviations Used on Traffic Control Devices
Standard:
[01] When the word messages shown in Table 1D-1 need to be abbreviated in connection with traffic control devices, the abbreviations shown in Table 1D-1 shall be used.
[02] When the word messages shown in Table 1D-2 need to be abbreviated on a portable changeable message sign, the abbreviations shown in Table 1D-2 shall be used. Unless indicated by an asterisk, these abbreviations shall only be used on portable changeable message signs.
Guidance:
[03] The abbreviations for the words listed in Table 1D-2 that also show a prompt word should not be used on a portable changeable message sign (or on a static sign if indicated in Table 1D-2 by an asterisk) unless the prompt word shown in Table 1D-2 either precedes or follows the abbreviation, as applicable.
Standard:
[04] The abbreviations shown in Table 1D-3 shall not be used in connection with traffic control devices because of their potential to be misinterpreted by road users.
Guidance:
[05] If Table 1D-1 or 1D-2 indicates that more than one abbreviation is allowed for a given word or phrase, the same abbreviation should be used throughout a single jurisdiction.
[06] Except as otherwise provided in Table 1D-1 or 1D-2 or unless necessary to avoid confusion, periods, commas, apostrophes, question marks, ampersands, and other punctuation marks or characters that are not letters or numerals should not be used in any abbreviation.
