Penn State University was recently awarded $28,000 in trademark infringement lawsuit against Vintage Brand. The two parties had a dispute over the use of the Nittany Lion logo and other trademarked symbols. Penn State alleged that Vintage Brand, an online retailer that specializes in selling vintage-style apparel, has been illegally using the university’s logos, including the famous Nittany Lion head, without proper authorization. Penn State claims that Vintage Brand’s use of these marks violates the university’s exclusive rights to its intellectual property and harms its brand identity.
Vintage Brand, which sells clothing featuring college and professional sports team logos, has been a popular source for retro sportswear. The company has marketed itself as a source for vintage gear, tapping into a growing market of nostalgia-driven fans. However, according to Penn State, the company has made a practice of using its trademarks without entering into licensing agreements or paying royalties. Penn State has licensing agreements in place with a variety of companies that produce and sell Penn State-branded merchandise. The university argues that unauthorized use of their logos by companies like Vintage Brand undercuts these agreements and harms the brand’s value.
Colleges and universities have increasingly recognized the value of their trademarks and logos in the modern sports merchandising world. For institutions like Penn State, their logos are much more than symbols, they are crucial aspects of the university’s identity, recognition, and revenue. These marks are protected under U.S. trademark law, and the university has worked hard to enforce these protections across a variety of channels, from merchandising to sponsorships.
Vintage Brand, for its part, has denied any wrongdoing. The company argues that it is not infringing on any trademarks because it is selling vintage-inspired designs, which may include marks that resemble those of college teams like Penn State but are not exact replicas. They claim that their designs fall into a “fair use” category, often a point of contention in trademark infringement cases. In their view, their products simply tap into the broad cultural appeal of vintage college sports memorabilia and are therefore not violating any intellectual property rights.
Despite these arguments, a U.S. Middle District Court jury found that Vintage Brand “willfully infringed on the trademarks” of Penn State University and was ordered to pay Penn State $28,000 in compensatory damages.
College sports has become an enormous industry, with television contracts, licensing deals, and merchandise sales reaching into the billions of dollars annually. For schools like Penn State, protecting their trademarks is not only about preserving their identity but also about ensuring that they receive fair compensation for the widespread commercial use of their brands.