Tricia Hornsby
Media Relations Manager
The Collegiate Licensing Company
(770) 618-8418 or thornsby@clc.com
CLC and University Officials Crack Down on Counterfeiters at FCS Championship
Montana and Villanova Will Protect Their Marks by Dispatching Enforcement Teams in Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., (Dec. 17, 2009) – As The University of Montana and Villanova University players and coaches prepare for Friday’s NCAAź Football Championship Subdivision championship game, University officials, in conjunction with The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), are taking necessary measures to address potential counterfeit and unlicensed merchandise in the Chattanooga area.Montana and Villanova Will Protect Their Marks by Dispatching Enforcement Teams in Chattanooga
CLC, an IMG company, and exclusive licensing agent for The University of Montana, Villanova University, and the NCAA, will work closely with local law enforcement officials to patrol the marketplace in search of counterfeiters selling “knock-off” merchandise. All counterfeit merchandise is subject to seizure.
With the retail market for collegiate licensed product estimated at $4.3 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 merchandise were seized at an estimated retail value in excess of $1 million.
Tips for purchasing championship merchandise:
· All officially licensed merchandise should display the Officially Licensed Collegiate Product hologram somewhere on the product or hangtag.
· The merchandise should depict the Montana, Villanova, or NCAA logos and marks in a tasteful manner, as Montana, Villanova, and the NCAA do not approve distasteful designs.
· 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 Montana, Villanova, and the NCAA.
· 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, ) next to a specific name or design.
The championship game will be played at Finley Stadium/Davenport Field in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Friday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. MST and will be televised on ESPN2.
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 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 the NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.