The Collegiate Licensing Company : Prospective Licensee FAQs

Prospective Licensee FAQs

What are CLC's hours of operation?

How do you apply for a license for an institution in the CLC Consortium?

Is there a limit on the number of institutions for which our company can apply?

How long does it take to complete the licensing process?

We are interested in becoming licensed. What are the costs of becoming licensed?

Which institutions, universities, bowls, conferences, and events does CLC currently represent?

Does CLC provide any marketing resources or services to its licensees or retailers?

How do we become licensed through/with CLC?

We are a retailer that also has in-house production capabilities. Do we need to be licensed to produce collegiate products?

Does the CLC license permit us to sell our licensed collegiate products in international markets?

Which CLC institutions require the use of Logos on Demand (LOD)?

How do I know what Category Advance Fee I will have to pay?

What is contract printing and is it allowed?

How much does Logos on Demand (LOD) cost?

What are CLC's hours of operation?

CLC's hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. E.S.T. Some CLC staff members are located in satellite offices in Arizona, California, Kansas, Montana, Ohio, and Oregon maintaining the same office hours within their own respective time zones.

What is CLC?

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 represents nearly 200 colleges, universities, bowl games, athletic conferences, the Heisman Trophy and the NCAA. Its mission is to be the guiding force in collegiate trademark licensing and one of the top sports licensing firms in the country. Headquartered in Atlanta, CLC provides full-service capabilities in brand protection, brand management and brand development.

How do you apply for a license for an institution in the CLC Consortium?

Obtaining a license through CLC for a collegiate institution is a process that will require a great deal of thought, research, and commitment. With more than 2,500 companies already licensed to produce a wide range of products, only those companies that can exhibit a commitment to the collegiate market, have established production and distribution capabilities, and/or offer a new or unique product will likely be granted the opportunity to obtain a license.

CLC has prepared an extensive overview document that details all aspects of the licensing application process as well as the financial and resource commitments necessary to successfully maintaining a collegiate license. Prospective licensees are strongly encouraged to complete the Contact Form located under the Licensing Info -> Application Process link of CLC.com, which will allow you to download comprehensive licensing application information. This document, combined with the answers provided in the FAQ section of CLC.com, should answer most of the questions that you may have about the licensing process. Additional questions can be directed via email to applications@clc.com.

Is there a limit on the number of institutions for which our company can apply?

There is a five school limit on Local and Restricted licenses. While there is no limit regarding how many institutions a standard licensee or applicant may license, there is good reason for adding institutions in a measured and cautious manner.

1. The vast majority of institutions charge royalty advances (which basically turn into guarantees at the end of the year). Many current licensees and applicants add a number of institutions only to be surprised by the large advances and other costs associated with maintaining a profitable license. In fact, many licensees that add large numbers of institutions at one time often end up allowing those licenses to expire after only one year to avoid unjustified expenditures. CLC highly recommends that current licensees and applicants only request licensure for institutions they are fully prepared to maximize sales for in the near term.

2. The more institutions for which your company becomes licensed, obviously the more work that is required to maintain your license. Furthermore, the process of submitting designs and adding products and distribution becomes exponentially more complicated for licensees that have more institutions. Because of the greater complication associated with a larger group of institutions, licensees may have to wait longer periods to receive approval on certain requests/projects.

How long does it take to complete the licensing process?

The application process can take differing amounts of time to complete depending on the license type being sought. Because the Restricted application process is streamlined, it is generally much faster.

The Standard and Local application processes take varying amounts of time to complete based on the number of institutions being sought. Generally, the fewer the number of institutions requested, the more expeditious the application process. As such, CLC highly recommends that you only apply for institutions that you are prepared to maximize in the near term.

CLC strongly recommends that applicants not pursue detailed sales discussions or trade show planning until they fully complete the licensing process. In the spirit of fairness, we cannot accommodate "rush" requests as all requests are treated equally and on a first-come, first-served basis.

We are interested in becoming licensed. What are the costs of becoming licensed?

Obtaining a license through CLC for a collegiate institution is a process that will require a great deal of thought, research, and commitment. With more than 2,500 companies already licensed to produce a wide range of products, only those companies that can exhibit a commitment to the collegiate market, have established production and distribution capabilities, and/or offer a new or unique product will likely be granted the opportunity to obtain a license.

CLC has prepared an extensive overview document that details all aspects of the licensing application process for colleges and universities in the CLC Consortium, including a summary of an applicant's anticipated first-year costs .Prospective college/university licensees are strongly encouraged to complete the contact form located under the Licensing Info -> Application Process link from the menu above, which will allow you to download comprehensive licensing application information. This document, combined with answers provided in the FAQ section of CLC.com, should answer most of the questions that you may have about the licensing process. Additional questions can be directed via email to applications@clc.com.

Which institutions, universities, bowls, conferences, and events does CLC currently represent?

To view an up-to-date list of CLC-represented institutions, please visit www.clc.com and click on the "Clients" section.

Does CLC provide any marketing resources or services to its licensees or retailers?

CLC's Marketing Department is focused on supporting the efforts of collegiate licensees interested in maximizing and growing sales. CLC's Retail Marketing Division is responsible for developing relationships with key retailers throughout the country. CLC's role is to facilitate communication between institutions, retailers, and licensees in order to maximize and grow the collegiate market, while also providing resources to retailers that implement collegiate promotional sales efforts.

To facilitate communication, CLC maintains a presence at all major collegiate trade shows, including CAMEX, The Sports Licensing and Tailgate Show, MAGIC, both the Atlanta and Dallas Giftmarts, and many others. CLC also hosts regular licensee and retailer meetings at both its Atlanta headquarters and at key collegiate licensee and retailer headquarters throughout the country. To support licensees and retailers, CLC provides promotion development and implementation services, signage, industry and product category trend and research analysis, and other forms of support.

CLC owns and operates The Collegiate Exchange (TCE), which was launched in 2001 specifically to assist collegiate retailers in finding collegiate product information and in locating suppliers. TCE, which is a virtual buyer's guide, is free for retailers and provides access to thousands of collegiate products from 150 participating manufacturers. TCE is a proven successful promotional platform for collegiate licensees. For pricing and other information regarding TCE, please visit www.thecollegiateexchange.com, send an email to tce@clc.com or call 770-956-0520 and ask to speak to a Retail Marketing staff member.

All licensees and particularly those with unique products or distribution are encouraged to communicate regularly with their CLC Account Coordinator about their collegiate product development and sales efforts. CLC encourages licensees to visit CLC's Headquarters to demonstrate their products and to discuss distribution and sales plans. CLC is committed to maximizing long-term collegiate product sales and understands that licensees and retailers are critical and inextricable parts of the collegiate sales growth equation.

Retailers interested in an initial commitment to the collegiate market or in expanding their existing collegiate offerings and are interested in partnering with CLC or the institutions to maximize collegiate product sales should contact Retail Marketing Department at retail@clc.com or 770-956-0520.

How do we become licensed through/with CLC?

Obtaining a license through CLC for a collegiate institution is a process that will require a great deal of thought, research, and commitment. With more than 2,500 companies already licensed to produce a wide range of products, only those companies that can exhibit a commitment to the collegiate market, have established production and distribution capabilities, and/or offer a new or unique product will likely be granted the opportunity to obtain a license.

CLC has prepared an extensive overview document that details all aspects of the licensing application process as well as the financial and resource commitments necessary to successfully maintaining a collegiate license. Prospective licensees are strongly encouraged to complete the Contact Form located under the Licensing Info -> Application Process link, which will allow you to download comprehensive licensing application information. This document, combined with this FAQ section, should answer most of the questions that you may have about the licensing process. Additional questions can be directed via email to applications@clc.com.

We are a retailer that also has in-house production capabilities. Do we need to be licensed to produce collegiate products?

Retailers that also screen or embroider their own products, alter or repackage an existing collegiate product, or source the products from a directly related company that is not licensed must obtain a collegiate license. CLC recommends that retailers consider sourcing products from existing licensees prior to seeking a license for in-house production. Please visit the Licensing Info > Application Process section of clc.com to learn more about the license application process.

Where is CLC located?

Company Headquarters- Atlanta, GA
All administrative and official correspondence should be sent to CLC's Company Headquarters, unless otherwise indicated by CLC staff. The address is:

The Collegiate Licensing Company
290 Interstate North Circle, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30339

The phone number is 770-956-0520 and the fax is 770-955-4491. Emails may be sent directly to CLC staff for a variety of inquiries as noted on the Contact Us link under the About CLC section of CLC.com.

West Coast Office- San Francisco, CA
You may correspond or communicate with the West Coast Office when working specifically with CLC staff working in this office. West Coast Office functions are limited to marketing.

The Collegiate Licensing Company
685 Market Street - Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone: 415-227-8014

Although headquartered in Atlanta with a regional office in San Francisco, CLC also has representatives located in Arizona, California, Kansas, Montana, Ohio, and Oregon.

Does the CLC license permit us to sell our licensed collegiate products in international markets?

The CLC License Agreement limits licensee sales to the United States and its territories (domestic). Many institutions have international licensing programs that require a separate license managed by different licensing agencies. CLC International is the largest collegiate international licensing company. If you are interested in an international license, please contact CLC International at 770-956-0520.

Which CLC institutions require the use of Logos on Demand (LOD)?

The list of institutions that require the use of Logos on Demand (LOD) is provided to all applicants during the application process. If your company uses MyiCLC (iCLC), you may view an updated list of institutions that require licensee use of Logos on Demand (J. Patton) by downloading the "Logos on Demand Information" document from the "Resources > Licensing Information" section within MyiCLC.

How do I know what Category Advance Fee I will have to pay?

The Category A, B & C advance fee amounts are based upon the product category(s) for which a company intends to obtain a license. Generally, the following products fall under Category A advance fees: Apparel, Headwear, Balls, Footwear, and Health & Beauty Products. Other non-apparel products fall under Category B advance fees. The Category C advance fee is charged only under special circumstances and in limited situations.

What is contract printing and is it allowed?

Contract printing is defined as the following: Use of a Collegiate Institution’s Licensed Indicia to embellish a good provided to a Licensee by its customer. In such cases, the Licensee does not use its own “blank goods” for embellishment, but rather affixes the Licensed Indicia to a good provided by its customer.

For the purposes of illustration and without limitation, contract printing is not permitted for products sold to retail for the following reasons:

Generally, when contract printing takes place, Licensees will mistakenly base royalty payments on the cost of embellishing the product with the Licensed Indicia and not on the full value of the Licensed Article. Per the CLC Retail License Agreement, royalties must be paid on the fair wholesale price of the Licensed Article.
The institutions must approve all designs and the type of products upon which its marks are placed. In a situation involving contract printing, an outside third party is providing the “blank good,” therefore; the University is unaware of the type of product that is being utilized, which may violate an institution policy.
The institution has an interest in ensuring that its Licensed Indicia is used on quality goods and requires its licensees to do so. When contract printing takes place, the “blank goods” provided to the Licensee have not been disclosed to the institution and product quality may suffer accordingly.

How much does Logos on Demand (LOD) cost?

Logos on Demand is a subscription-based service. The subscription term is one year and varies in cost based on the type of license you hold and how many institutions you are licensed for (see cost chart below):

Local & Restricted Licensees (one institution) - $50
Local & Restricted Licensees (2 to 5 institutions) - $100
Standard Licensees (1 to 15 institutions) - $250
Standard Licensees (16+ institutions) - $500

To register (only licensees that have received institution approval will be permitted to register) or for more detailed information regarding Logos on Demand visit the J. Patton website at:

http://www.jpattonondemand.com/clc

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