HS using logos of colleges/pros

[hormone]

First off, hopefully this is the correct place for this. I've been reading about how some colleges go crazy when their logo is used by other entities. Penn State making that school in Texas change came off the top of my head. I work at a pretty large high school and we had this topic discussed at work today. Our basketball court has the Clemson paw at center court. Our volleyball team was sporting jerseys with the Cincy Bengal head. Our football team got new unis. They use Minnesota Gopher's M and the Mizzou tiger. Would these teams care? Is it our responsibility to notify someone or say something (or nothing)? Is this just something to say the heck with it? One guy at work said these schools/teams should be made aware because he felt those places paid big money for someone to design those logos.

Thoughts? Thanks for your time on the matter.

[Seadragon76]

Well, I remember a few years ago when Wisconsin raised a huge stink about Waukee (Iowa) using their 'Motion W' logo for their high school teams. Waukee had to change the logo.

For the most part, unless the school or professional team calls on the infringement, nobody really bothers with this. For example: The high school where I live uses the Wishbone 'C' that the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Reds use. Nobody here sees an issue.

[BigDmo]

My old high school used the Gonzaga bulldog logo but it was recolored black and red. Mark Few, coach of the Gonzaga Bulldogs is actually from the town though so I think that's why we can use it, not sure though.

[Gothamite]

Wow. A cornucopia of theft, all in one place.

If the rightful owners find out, they will send a C&D letter. They are obligated to under the law, and if they don't protect their ownership in all cases they run the risk of losing their intellectual property altogether.

But even if they don't find out, it's still theft. That intellectual property does not belong to your school. Stealing doesn't somehow magically become okay just because the victim is unaware you've burgled his safe.

[Gordie]

Here's a brief look at the issue from the college/university perspective.

High School Logo Challenge

[lenardo]

my high school just got our gold MSU spartan logo taken away and we cant put them on our helmets. we went from having sick helmets and unis to a maroon version of penn state

[illwauk]

So, are the logos of the Yankees, Mets, Steelers and Bears and Michigan's helmet deisgn "stolen," or do they get a pass because they swiped them before sleazy lawyers convinced everyone that high schools were out to destroy the identity of every athletic institution that's higher than their own?

Granted, I'd definitely prefer to see original logos, but since this is a country that doesn't give a damn about education, most schools don't have the money to commission one nor do they have an art department that could create one.

[TopCat]

My high school uses so many different ripped off logos. We're the Tech Tigers and I've seen the Mizzou tiger head, a stretched out Tennessee "T", Texas Tech "double T", Cincy Bengals full bengal, Texas Rangers "T"... It's absurd.

[oddball]

The easiest way around this is for the high school to contact the "university" or pro team and ask if it's okay to use it. I don't know how many high schools do this, but I would suspect the smart ones do get permission. Understand that part of the issues could actually be the manufacturer of these logos. If you talk to any varsity high school football coach or high school athletic director, they usually have a book/pamphlet from their manufacturer of uniforms that has all these logos in them. I would say a lot of a.d.'s and coaches don't know that what they are doing is illegal. I don't know if the manufacturers of the uniforms/decals get permission to use the logos and such, but it'd be an interesting thing to look into.

The Yankees, Mets, logos along with the wishbone "C" are trademarked, so that ends that issue. On the issues of helmets such as the Steelers, and Michigan. I'm not sure on the possible enforcement of the Steelers, unless it was a straight rip-off of their colors and logos. One stripe and a logo on one side, won't give the viewer the idea that it's the Steelers. The Michigan helmet. That's a funny one, because if Michigan is going to go after anyone, they better expect Princeton to go after them since they stole the design straight from Princeton.

[illwauk]

I get that those designs are all trademarked... now. But the Yankees took theirs from a NYPD medal, the Mets took theirs from another still-active franchise in the same league that now operates on the other coast, the Bears obviously took theirs from the Reds (assuming the Reds didn't swipe it from somewhere else first) and the Steelers logo is the US Steel logo with "Steelers" in place of "Steel" and we all know the story behind the Michigan wings. Whether or not they're trademarked after the fact is irrelevant if the issue we're discussing is the ethics behind doing such a thing. If we're gonna come down on high schools for swiping logos, then it should be applied across the board.

[HarperK]

I get that those designs are all trademarked... now. But the Yankees took theirs from a NYPD medal, the Mets took theirs from another still-active franchise in the same league that now operates on the other coast, the Bears obviously took theirs from the Reds (assuming the Reds didn't swipe it from somewhere else first) and the Steelers logo is the US Steel logo with "Steelers" in place of "Steel" and we all know the story behind the Michigan wings. Whether or not they're trademarked after the fact is irrelevant if the issue we're discussing is the ethics behind doing such a thing. If we're gonna come down on high schools for swiping logos, then it should be applied across the board.

Actually i THINK the wishbone C originated with the Univ of Chicago.

[Dexter Morgan]

My old high school used the Carolina Panthers logo for football, as well as the Florida Panthers logo for soccer. Right now the football team uses Wisconson's W.

[NEW.ERA]

My High School used Marshall's M.

And instead of Marshall it just said Saints.

[Punch]

I recall watching a video on the making of a Michigan football helmet that said the Michigan helmet design is slightly different than the other teams that use it, such as Princeton. In fact, I think it was posted on this site.

I don't know if this means that Michigan is okay with the copycats, but that's what I believe in this situation.

[Discogod]

This isn't just an American issue either - my old university (U. of Hertfordshire) used the Carolina Hurricanes' logo for their sports team, with the red replaced by green.

[meetthemets]

I get that those designs are all trademarked... now. But the Yankees took theirs from a NYPD medal, the Mets took theirs from another still-active franchise in the same league that now operates on the other coast, the Bears obviously took theirs from the Reds (assuming the Reds didn't swipe it from somewhere else first) and the Steelers logo is the US Steel logo with "Steelers" in place of "Steel" and we all know the story behind the Michigan wings. Whether or not they're trademarked after the fact is irrelevant if the issue we're discussing is the ethics behind doing such a thing. If we're gonna come down on high schools for swiping logos, then it should be applied across the board.

Your comparisons are apples and oranges. You can't compare two teams back in the early 1900's (before sports logo design was a commodity) using a similar C to a high school today, blatantly stealing and using another college logo. I'm pretty sure the Steelers had permission from US Steel to adapt their logo from theirs. I'm sure the Mets had some sort of agreement in place when they started to use the old Giants logo. The point is, there is no issue with any of these logos and no one is asking them to change them.

Colleges want to protect their marks and have every right to do so, whether you like it or not. I understand that a lot of high schools don't have the money to develop their own logos, but that's not the issue nor the college's problem. Suppose a school that started with an M just took the McDonald's golden arches and used them on a football helmet and on their field. You'd better believe that McDonald's is coming after them. So why should it be any different with pro and college sports teams?

[Cyclone20]

Well, I remember a few years ago when Wisconsin raised a huge stink about Waukee (Iowa) using their 'Motion W' logo for their high school teams. Waukee had to change the logo.

Oh man, I go there. Now we copy the Michigan State logo. We are just tearing up the big 10

previous logo

new 'W' logo

[rams80]

My old high school used the Carolina Panthers logo for football, as well as the Florida Panthers logo for soccer. Right now the football team uses Wisconson's W.

Not for long, considering how proactive Wisky is about zapping its logo.

[Rockstar Matt]

Not my school, but a local school by the name of Carson Colts, uses the Indianapolis Colts horseshoe logo on their helmets but recolored. They've used that logo for years now.

[1991]

i know republic (mo) high school uses the mizzou logo exactly on EVERYTHING, even their water tower when they built their new high school and stadiums, but before doing so they actually contacted U of Missouri and asked for official permission for use of the logo and the ways they can use it and were granted permission mainly because they had the forsight just to ask.