I was thinking of starting a hat business can I use NHL MLB NBA or other proffessional team logos and put them on my hat?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
I was thinking of starting a hat business can I use NHL MLB NBA or other proffessional team logos and put them on my hat?
Asked on March 16, 2012 under Business Law, Illinois
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
No, you may not do this. Those logos are the intellectual property of the teams and/or the leagues; they are trademarked and/or copyrighted. If you use these logos without permission, you are violating intellectual property; the rights holder(s) can sue you for damages or monetary compensation, and can also obtain court orders requiring you to stop doing this, stop selling the hats, and to destroy all existing inventory. To use these logos, you'd need to get the permission of the rights holders, which will typically mean striking some licensing deal.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.