# Designing sports teams t-shirts?



## cvara16 (Nov 7, 2007)

I was wondering how you get around the licensing for the t-shirts for college and professional sports teams. I really dont want to pay them thousands of dollars to design their shirts. Can I possibly, for example, make an oakland raiders t-shirt with just raiders and no oakland on it with maybe the logo. And then make the silver color slightly off? Also, for jerseys, could I make a jersey, say with Jamarcus Russell on it, and have his number on it and then Russell on the back with no acknowledgment other than the colors that this is an oakland raiders jersey. If you cant do this, can I sell a jersey on ebay saying this is a replica jersey and not official and would that make it legal?


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

No to everything you're asking. Trademark law is not that full of stupid loopholes so people can exploit other's intellectual property.


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## cvara16 (Nov 7, 2007)

Solmu said:


> No to everything you're asking. Trademark law is not that full of stupid loopholes so people can exploit other's intellectual property.



But cant you claim that if you put no city that it is for a local pop warner team in the area? Because there is a pop warner team that is located by me called the ogden bears. are you saying I cant claim that a shirt with the name bears on it is for the ogden bears?


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

cvara16 said:


> But cant you claim that if you put no city that it is for a local pop warner team in the area? Because there is a pop warner team that is located by me called the ogden bears. are you saying I cant claim that a shirt with the name bears on it is for the ogden bears?


That doesn't sound like what you're trying to do though.

You asked a question about "getting around trademarks", and you can't do that. You can and will get sued.

We can't help you "get around" the legal system that's in place to protect trademark holders and intellectual property owners.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

cvara16 said:


> are you saying I cant claim that a shirt with the name bears on it is for the ogden bears?


Well you can _try_. But judges aren't total morons, so don't expect it to work.


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## TripleT (Apr 29, 2007)

The kids around here call knock-off jerseys - Bowbows (sp?) - and won't wear them. It's a bad idea all the way around.


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