KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — University of Tennessee police seized nearly 300 counterfeit items and cited two persons for infringement of trademark laws during the first two UT football games, university officials announced Wednesday.
Sara Phillips, UT’s licensing director, said confiscated items include unlicensed T-shirts, bandannas, license plates, hats and stickers.
UT Police and Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) will check vendors and search for counterfeit merchandise at the Tennessee-Florida football game, Phillips said.
CLC, the exclusive licensing representative for both universities, is responsible for protecting and enforcing the universities’ trademark rights. As one of the nation’s most contested rivalries, the Tennessee-Florida game is a potential target for counterfeiters who produce and sell unlicensed merchandise, CLC officials said.
UT and the University of Florida receive a percentage on sales of officially licensed merchandise, but counterfeiting costs the universities thousands of dollars in lost revenues each year, Phillips said.
Licensed merchandise provides money for scholarships and other student activities and helps ensure product quality, she said.
Phillips said the UT enforcement team will be patrolling the marketplace before, during and after the game. All counterfeit merchandise is subject to seizure, and counterfeiters will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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Contact: Sara Phillips (423-974-5070)