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School Board member "fears lawsuit" over NFL logo, colors


B-Rich

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This ties in to some relatively recent posts about high schools using pro team logos and colors, and whether they are being "ripped off".

From my local paper today:

"The decision originated with Jefferson Parish School Board member Mark Morgan, whose district includes the Gretna magnet high school. Soon after Thomas Jefferson (H.S.) opened in 2006, Morgan realized the school had adopted both the colors and the logo from the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. He believed that could constitute a trademark infringement or at least could put the school at risk of a lawsuit.

Morgan also said the school had sold baseball caps with the Jacksonville Jaguars official logo at the Gretna Heritage Festival last fall, despite not having a licensing agreement or written consent from the National Football League.

Because students are intent on keeping the jaguar as the school mascot, it is necessary to get rid of the California blue color, which he believes most people associate with the NFL, Morgan said.

"I don't want to go down that road, " said Morgan, who is a lawyer. "The mission of this school is not to imitate the NFL or anyone else. The mission of this school is to be unique and creative."

However, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said his organization is "deeply committed" to supporting youth football and does not have a problem with high school programs adopting and using NFL team logos.

"We simply ask that the schools do not alter or change the color of the logos, " he said. The organization also asks high schools not to sell merchandise in a manner that would lead fans to believe it is officially licensed by the NFL or the team, he said.

NFL attorneys have not been contacted by anyone from the school district, but they would be more than happy to discuss the matter with school officials, McCarthy said.

Morgan said he consulted School Board attorneys as well as a former law school colleague who worked for the New York Jets. Full Link.

This is ridiculous. First of all, take a look at the school's website. The school colors are listed as "California Blue (which is apparently a sky/Carolina blue) and Silver", NOT the Jaguars teal, black and Gold. If you dig a bit into the website, you see that the football team does not wear the logo on the helmet (they wear a jaguar paw) and apparently the teams have navy blue as a tertiary color. The only use of the NFL Jacksonville Jaguar logo appears to be on the website in the link- mentioned hats that were sold.

Not to mention that in the same area, under the same school board member's jurisdiction are the West Jefferson Buccaneers, who feature the helmet logos of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the John Ehret Patriots, who are carbon copies of the New England Patriots.

No telling what this is all about-- I really don't think this is idiocy; I think it may have more to do with politics. According to the full artcile, along wiht a campus shift, the new prinicipal simply informed everyone the new colors would be maroon, black and white. This malarkey may be a thin attempt to provide some political cover for the principal's bone-headed edict.

It is what it is.

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"The mission of this school is not to imitate the NFL or anyone else. The mission of this school is to be unique and creative."

Finally - someone affiliated with a school who "gets it".

"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

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