re: University of Alabama threatening to sue Clay Travis over T-Shirts

Both letters look quite different to me. Any lawyers here?

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The hell they don't. The A doesn't have to be a 100% exact replica


Depends on context, but it kinda does. You can't trademark the general idea of a script A, which is why Bama and the Braves can both trademark their own versions. The Braves would likely object if Bama started selling licensed shirts using the Braves' version for whatever reason, and vice versa. The context might change the argument to a degree, but trademarks and copyrights are pretty specific

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The example you gave is two different organizations with their own logo which is long established. The yearbook example I gave is more relevant to Travis. High schools have sometimes tried to use a logo that is really close to Coke or Pepsi's, for example, including the color, and a catch phrase made popular by the company ("it's the real thing", for example) in a play on one of their ad campaigns, and the yearbook publisher won't publish without permission of the company.

That's exactly what Travis is doing.

In 2012, ESPN reportedly paid about $7.3 billion over 12 years for broadcasting rights to all seven games, an average of about $608 million per year.

Pretty clear violation so Alabama will be the least of Clay Travis worries.

Damn Tennessee's AD suing Alabama? This should end well.

The bama script A has a mullet. That is the difference from them and he braves logo

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The example you gave is two different organizations with their own logo which is long established. The yearbook example I gave is more relevant to Travis. High schools have sometimes tried to use a logo that is really close to Coke or Pepsi's, for example, including the color, and a catch phrase made popular by the company ("it's the real thing", for example) in a play on one of their ad campaigns, and the yearbook publisher won't publish without permission of the company.

That's exactly what Travis is doing.

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I acknowledge the point but don't buy the argument, and I doubt a jury would either. There's nothing in the image that requires it to be Bama-specific. The trophy has been won by multiple programs, there are quite a few Hawaiians in this country, and, unless somebody knows something I don't, Tua isn't credited with saying anything along the lines of that message. Can we infer it's a reference to Bama and Tua? Sure, as can a jury or judge. But establishing a trademark violation has a fairly rigorous standard and I'd say the odds are on Travis' side here.

Now, the image of trophy itself is unambiguous and the CFP organization can certainly go after him for that.

Kinda reminds me of the flap between the NFL and New Orleans area t-shirt shops:

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Louisiana's attorney general said Monday that shops can sell T-shirts with the phrase "Who Dat" and the fleur-de-lis symbol if they don't make other references to the New Orleans Saints or the National Football League.

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The A is different, the colors are off and it does not mention the university or football team. That trophy is CFB reference, so Bama has a case. I think they lose if they pursue it.

So how many here bought a shirt?