Selling products with NFL logo on them. What to do to be legal?

[legalquest38]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I was looking at selling products with the NFL logo on them. What do you have to do to do that legally. If it is not something the NFL sells, what do you need to do?

For example, if you were to sell dog tags with NFL logo on there and a players picture or something... this is not something the NFL sells, but the NFL logo is still on there. Since it is something the NFL does not sell... do you need to worry, or are there steps you have to take? Another example would be the NFL rings you see for sale in China. NFL doesn't not make those rings for sale... but it is still their IP right?

Dog tags/rings are not exactly what I am interested in selling. But just trying to make an example. It's not football helmets, jerseys, coozie cups, footballs, anything like that. Its products that the NFL or its affiliates do not currently produce for mass sales. But I would like to produce them and sell them.

 

[sandyclaus]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I was looking at selling products with the NFL logo on them. What do you have to do to do that legally. If it is not something the NFL sells, what do you need to do?

For example, if you were to sell dog tags with NFL logo on there and a players picture or something... this is not something the NFL sells, but the NFL logo is still on there. Since it is something the NFL does not sell... do you need to worry, or are there steps you have to take? Another example would be the NFL rings you see for sale in China. NFL doesn't not make those rings for sale... but it is still their IP right?

Dog tags/rings are not exactly what I am interested in selling. But just trying to make an example. It's not football helmets, jerseys, coozie cups, footballs, anything like that. Its products that the NFL or its affiliates do not currently produce for mass sales. But I would like to produce them and sell them.

In order to sell genuine NFL licensed items, you would need to obtain authorization from the NFL and/or the individual teams or players and/or their legal representatives.

If it's NOT something that the NFL currently sells, either they aren't choosing to promote that particular item, or the NFL never authorized it in the first place. The items sold in China are examples of UNAUTHORIZED promotional items which seek to use the NFL name to sell and promote the products. They have very specific quality requirements, and most of those Chinese items are probably knockoffs or items of questionable quality.

 

[quincy]

To go along with sandyclaus' post, here is a link to the NFL licensing requirements and application: http://www.nfl.biz.

Click on "Become a Licensee" and read what the NFL is and is not licensing, and what is necessary for a person or entity to qualify for a license.

Good luck.

 

[legalquest38]

Great responses and thank you for the link.

 

[quincy]

You're welcome, legalquest38.