What a rip-off...

[jetsfan98]

. .

At 0:52, (The Source Of My Venting).you can see clearly on the banner, the school's logo. Or, the St. Louis Rams logo. It's not even recolored. Don't you hate it when schools can't find the time to make an actual logo and just slap a professional teams' logo under some wordart?

Sorry, i felt the need to vent about this. Feel free to post any other logos that do that ...

[Brave-Bird 08]

really? the trademarking business definitely does not extend to high schools. there are thousands of high schools around our nation...we cannot simply monitor and standardize them all.

they need identities. they need logos to throw on helmets, shirts, etc. so they just use stuff that is already out there. sure, once in a blue moon a team gets caught...but if you are opposed to schools doing this then you are in favor of standardizing the logo usage parameters around the country...and that's a tough task--one that cant realistically happen.

[BBTV]

really? the trademarking business definitely does not extend to high schools. there are thousands of high schools around our nation...we cannot simply monitor and standardize them all.

they need identities. they need logos to throw on helmets, shirts, etc. so they just use stuff that is already out there. sure, once in a blue moon a team gets caught...but if you are opposed to schools doing this then you are in favor of standardizing the logo usage parameters around the country...and that's a tough task--one that cant realistically happen.

Wow. I think you've officially hit BigMac12 and Saintsfan levels of... "wrongness" here.

I (and, well, the law) could not disagree with your post any more, even if you posted "2+2 = 7" or "the Pirates are going to sweep the World Series in 2010".

These schools are doing NOTHING more than teaching their students that if you don't have money or talent, it's OK to steal someone else's property, because a logo, while not necessarily tangible (you can't "hold" it) is certainly something that was bought and paid for by the team.

These schools absolutely should be punished for this, and frankly, I think that any AD (or whoever approves of the use of these logos) should be dismissed, because teaching stealing is not becoming of an educational institution.

Not only that, but trademark law dictates that a business (the StL Rams in this case) MUST defend their marks or they lose the rights to them (not sure the official wording, but basically, if they knowingly let people use them without a license, then they essentially become public, and anyone can steal them.) The Rams, or any other team, has an obligation to stop this kind of activity.

That being said, it's usually good PR to just grant the high school a $1 lifetime "license" to use the mark, even though I think that even that sends the wrong message.

[Brave-Bird 08]

really? the trademarking business definitely does not extend to high schools. there are thousands of high schools around our nation...we cannot simply monitor and standardize them all.

they need identities. they need logos to throw on helmets, shirts, etc. so they just use stuff that is already out there. sure, once in a blue moon a team gets caught...but if you are opposed to schools doing this then you are in favor of standardizing the logo usage parameters around the country...and that's a tough task--one that cant realistically happen.

Wow. I think you've officially hit BigMac12 and Saintsfan levels of... "wrongness" here.

I (and, well, the law) could not disagree with your post any more, even if you posted "2+2 = 7" or "the Pirates are going to sweep the World Series in 2010".

These schools are doing NOTHING more than teaching their students that if you don't have money or talent, it's OK to steal someone else's property, because a logo, while not necessarily tangible (you can't "hold" it) is certainly something that was bought and paid for by the team.

These schools absolutely should be punished for this, and frankly, I think that any AD (or whoever approves of the use of these logos) should be dismissed, because teaching stealing is not becoming of an educational institution.

Not only that, but trademark law dictates that a business (the StL Rams in this case) MUST defend their marks or they lose the rights to them (not sure the official wording, but basically, if they knowingly let people use them without a license, then they essentially become public, and anyone can steal them.) The Rams, or any other team, has an obligation to stop this kind of activity.

That being said, it's usually good PR to just grant the high school a $1 lifetime "license" to use the mark, even though I think that even that sends the wrong message.

I dont think its right for schools to use logos...it is completely wrong.

But a) being two years removed from hs, I know well and good that students realize that school "stole" a logo. We had three teams in our own division using the Philly Eagles logo. I don't think students look at that and go, "hey, lets go steal!"...it doesnt even cross their mind. Anyone who gets into any trademarking or identity business...these prospective future workers, aka kids at schools...learn IMMEDIATELY how trademarks work.

as for the schools...yes, I believe getting permission to use one is, to me, a copout.

but this is all nothing to get ticked off about. it's high school teams. fighting this would be like cops trying to find every kid with dope in town.

[Chawls]

Without a license, then they essentially become public, and anyone can steal them.) The Rams, or any other team, has an obligation to stop thi

That being said, it's usually good PR to just grant the high school a $1 lifetime "license" to use the mark, even though I think that even that sends the wrong message.

$1? Seriously? That's all?! I can get an ice cold McDonald's Sundae for the same amount!

[BBTV]

Well, there's STEALING!!! and then there's "stealing ". The average kid might know that the logos are "stolen " and not think that it's OK to go rob a bank or mug someone, but it gets back to the point of how it's become acceptable to steal IP, because there's no blue-collar physicality involved in the theft. While they may not be consciously thinking about it, it does play in to the thoughts that may people have that dowloading music, looking for WWF PPV streams, and copying logos isn't really a crime, because nobody is visibly hurt. It's just as bad, and being the smart ass that I am, if I was in a school that stole a logo like that, I'd try to get caught stealing something there, just so the principal could yell at me for stealing, and I could throw that back at him (OK, I probably wouldn't actually have the balls to do that, but I'd want to.)

My football team had an original logo, one that I think may have been developed by either one of the art teachers or a student. I would have been embarrassed if we just had another team's logo, not because I cared about trademark laws 15 years ago, but I cared about individuality and identity, and wouldn't want to cop anyone else's under any circumstances.

I happen to applaud schools like University of Wisconsin who actively pursue and put a stop to these kinds of things, and I wish more pro teams would do the same, though I understand why they don't.

[Brave-Bird 08]

I mean, Vet--you are right on every point.

I just never feel there is an injustice when a high school team throws it on a helmet or something. If a University did such a thing it would tick me off!

but, a hs doing something similar seems like a drop in the bucket when it comes to protecting rights. The Rams logos are still protected very very well. How many people actually know of that high schools existince? not many...

[BBTV]

Without a license, then they essentially become public, and anyone can steal them.) The Rams, or any other team, has an obligation to stop thi

That being said, it's usually good PR to just grant the high school a $1 lifetime "license" to use the mark, even though I think that even that sends the wrong message.

$1? Seriously? That's all?! I can get an ice cold McDonald's Sundae for the same amount!

[image of tasty frozen treat removed]

I think I read in a few cases where the schools only paid $1 just so it could be legal, but I'm not sure if that's the case in every instance.

Also, I haven't had one of those sundaes in about 16 years, and goddammit I might be forced to go out and get one now that I've seen that picture.

[DustDevil61]

Time for me to chime in...

I don't think that a school is very creative when it just rips a logo off from a pro team and doesn't even recolor it. However, when they at least recolor the logo, use a team's helmet/hat logo design in their colors (assuming this school is red and white, then they do the Rams horn in said colors), or tweak the logo for a distinct appearance from a pro team, then I find it OK.

A couple of examples I've seen, both good and bad:

--My High school, who is nicknamed the Cowboys and are Red, White, and Silver (as an unofficial 3rd, baseball's tried to use sky blue), wore a silver helmet with a white star and the letters "KC" (Kanab Cowboys) in the star. True, it's a star, but I can tell you that they just didn't take the Dallas Cowboys star, make it red, and throw it on their helmet. I don't know if they've stayed with it (I live on the complete other side of the state now, and rarely am home for any KHS football), and they seem to change their uniforms as much as the Oregon ducks (but haven't sold out to black on a grand scale yet, unlike many high schools).

-- I had to double-check to see what school this was. You see, A team that is in Kanab's region, the South Sevier Rams, have the colors Red, White, and Black. When I was in HS, they had plain red helmets and (I think) a single black middle stripe, and the St. Louis Rams' logo---in navy blue and gold. I would've half-tolerated it if they at least made the logo black to fit their colors, but no. I think someone's already warmed up and changed it, but you can never be too sure.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

An ABC News video about a high school spying on students via laptops, and you're hot and bothered about the Rams logo that appears for half a second.

Not saying it's not apropos for this board, but it's still funny.

[gueman]

An ABC News video about a high school spying on students via laptops, and you're hot and bothered about the Rams logo that appears for half a second.

Not saying it's not apropos for this board, but it's still funny.

My thoughts exactly! Now this comes up from time to time, but didn't the 4 Major leagues "grant" the usage of logo's to schools and rec programs about 10 or so years ago. IIRC it came out of some really bad PR an NFL team (not sure which one) got for going full tilt by suing some poor school system. I do know the leagues have perused the "theft of intellectual property" against schools and rec programs in the past and it always looks like the big guy picking on the little guy. At some point the bad PR will not be worth going after them even if they are and have every right.

[BBTV]

An ABC News video about a high school spying on students via laptops, and you're hot and bothered about the Rams logo that appears for half a second.

Not saying it's not apropos for this board, but it's still funny.

Not really sure what one wrong has to do with another, especially since the first wrong was exposed and acknowledged (even if the consequences will be minimal due to the residents not wanting to spend their tax dollars to go against the school that they essentially fund, which could spawn a 30-page topic in and of itself.)

[Yac12]

I am so glad that the high school I teach and coach at has developed it's own identity and has not taken it from colleges or the pros.

[IceCap]

I have to agree with Vet here. Stealing is stealing. If a school doesn't see it as a top priority to design its own identity they can at least contact the people who's logo they wish to use so they can work something out.

That being said, sometimes leaving a high school to its own devices when it comes to designing an identity doesn't yield the best results

[Quillz]

A local high school near me has used this as their logo for years:

[sabretooth47]

I can understand the frustration of a HS using a pro logo/jersey regardless of whether it was stolen or not. How do you set a sense of identity or community with a school if you just slap a used logo on your building?

I mean, you have piles of kids going in and out of a school year after year...why not just have the kids design one? My old HS "re-imagines" its Bulldog logo every 4 or 5 years. And it makes sense to me, as you would want to become "cool" with the times, if you will. But, the school never allows anything that resembles a pro/college team...this is to promote uniqueness as well as a sense that the logo is "theirs". We went thru such a change while I was a Junior way back in the early 90's. And they still do so like clockwork.

And my old HS isn't some cheeky suburban school outta 90210. We're talking a public city school.

Hell, I'm sure you've all seen some pretty awesome, albeit stupid, graffiti around that shows off gang marks and stuff...why not put that talent to something a bit more constructive...?

[Dexter Morgan]

Don't mind it at all.

My old high school currently uses Wisconsin's football logo.

You can also notice the other school uses the Pats old logo.

My high school also used this in previous years.

[rams80]

Your high school will likely be getting a phone call from Madison in a couple of days.

[andrewharrington]

Yes. If your school has a Wisconsin 'W' anywhere on its campus, it's already firmly in the crosshairs of UW's proverbial M-16.

[GO2HELL]

my school (sutherland sabres) uses a recolored nashville predators logo.