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Q. How much will the city make off the trademark?
A. City officials have not made projections. But the Royals have agreed to pay the city a 7.5 percent fee, up to an unspecified amount, on all Rosenblatt merchandise. The NCAA and College World Series of Omaha Inc. agreed to pay a flat fee. The amount has not been disclosed.
Q. Has the city issued many licenses?
A. One direct license, leading up to the series. The Royals, with the city’s authorization, granted 14 sublicenses to businesses producing everything from crystal paperweights to T-shirts, hats and artwork.
Q. How is the trademark being enforced?
A. Before the series opener, the city had sent fewer than 10 letters asking merchants suspected of infringing on the trademark to “cease and desist.”
In some cases, merchants reached agreements with the city. In others, the city determined that the use wasn’t a trademark infringement.
The Royals also have been checking merchandise. The NCAA and its representative in licensing matters, the Collegiate Licensing Co., will make unannounced stops at vendors.
Q. Does all Rosenblatt merchandise have to be licensed?
A. There are exceptions.
For example, selling a picture of the stadium probably would not violate the city’s trademark, although the seller might run afoul of copyright laws with whoever owns the picture.
The city also granted exceptions for news media coverage and historical purposes.
A merchant already licensed to use the NCAA name on a T-shirt probably would not need a separate license to add the Rosenblatt name.
Q. How do you know if merchandise is licensed?
A. The Royals organization developed a hologram sticker that merchants can attach to city-licensed goods, similar to what the NCAA uses for team merchandise. Make sure the design is printed properly and the neck label is intact.
Q. Why buy licensed goods?
A. The license guarantees that most revenue from the item goes back to the trademark holder, whether that’s the city or the school a fan supports.
Sources: Tim Himes, assistant city attorney; Jason Kinney, director of merchandise, Omaha Royals; Michael Drucker, vice president and associate general counsel, and Brit Gordon, vice president, retail marketing, Collegiate Licensing Co.
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