August 28, 2012) – University of Utah players, and coaches are preparing for Thursday’s opening game against Northern Colorado. The match-up also marks the beginning of a season of enforcement at the U. University officials and The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), a division of IMG College, are taking necessary measures to address potential counterfeit and unlicensed merchandise in the Salt Lake City area. The U will continue its efforts throughout every home game of the 2012 season.
CLC, the exclusive trademark licensing agent for the University of Utah since 1983, works closely with local law enforcement officials to patrol the marketplace, in search of counterfeiters selling “knock-off” merchandise. All counterfeit products are subject to seizure.
With the retail market for collegiate licensed merchandise estimated at $4.6 billion, counterfeiters look to capitalize on the excitement of fans in town to cheer on their teams. Over the last year, more than 130 criminal and civil actions involving collegiate counterfeit product were conducted, in which more than 60,000 pieces of counterfeit goods were seized at an estimated retail value in excess of $1 million.
Brett Eden, Director of University Licensing and Marketing, says cash made by counterfeiters is money lost by student athletes. “Our partnership with CLC aims to protect the overall value of the University of Utah brand,” said Eden. “We encourage all fans to ‘look for the label’ in order to ensure that the merchandise they purchase is officially licensed, as the royalties we generate go back to the University for student athletic scholarships.”
Tips for purchasing University of Utah merchandise:
- All officially licensed merchandise should display the Officially Licensed Collegiate Product hologram somewhere on the product or hangtag.
- The merchandise should depict the University of Utah logos and marks in a tasteful and appropriate manner. If it is distasteful or inappropriate, the merchandise is unlikely to have been licensed by Utah.
- The tag on the garment should be intact. A torn or missing tag is evidence of a second-hand garment, one that probably would not meet the stringent quality standards in place by Utah.
- All merchandise should bear the name of the manufacturer somewhere on the product, either in the form of a hangtag, a neck label, or screen-printed directly on the garment.
- All merchandise should have the appropriate trademark designations (i.e. TM,â) next to a specific name or design.
Trademark infringement violates state and federal laws, including criminal laws. Penalties vary depending on the extent of the violation, but can include confiscation of the product and equipment used to make it, fines, and even jail time for more serious violations. Confiscated product is eventually destroyed or donated to charitable organizations.
University of Utah’s opening game will be played at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Aug 30 at 5:15 p.m. MDT.
About The Collegiate Licensing Company
CLC is a division of global sports and entertainment company IMG. Founded in 1981, CLC is the oldest and largest collegiate trademark licensing agency in the U.S. and currently represents nearly 200 colleges, universities, bowl games, athletic conferences, The Heisman Trophy and the NCAA. The mission of CLC is to be the guiding force in collegiate trademark licensing and one of the top sports licensing firms in the country. CLC is dedicated to being a center of excellence in providing licensing services of the highest quality to its member institutions, licensees, retailers and consumers. Headquartered in Atlanta (Ga.), CLC is a full-service licensing representative, which employs a staff of more than 80 licensing professionals who provide full-service capabilities in brand protection, brand management, and brand development. For more information on CLC, visit: www.clc.com or www.imgworld.com.
About University of Utah
The University of Utah is the state’s oldest and largest public university, and is ranked as one of the top public research universities in the nation. Founded in 1850, students are offered over 100 undergraduate degree programs and more than 90 graduate degrees. The University was recently ranked number one in the nation for creating start-ups, number one in the nation for the University’s health care, and fourth in the nation for green power purchases. For more information on the University of Utah, call 801-585-9244 or visit the University’s Web site at www.utah.edu.