Of course this information is released on a Friday:
The University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign today told vendors to stop taking orders by mid-April for chief-related memorabilia and to stop selling the materials in June.
The university holds the trademark for Illiniwek-related clothing, souvenirs and other materials, and its board of trustees voted March 13 to rescind the chief as the institution's symbol.
Today, the university said in a news release that it and its Atlanta-based licensing agent, Collegiate Licensing Co., "will put retailers on notice that they may not order any additional merchandise featuring the Chief logo, or products featuring the terms 'Chief' or 'Chief Illiniwek' after Monday, April 16, 2007."
Licensees will be allowed to sell any existing inventory of Illiniwek merchandise for 60 days, from April 16 to June 15, the release stated. All merchandise must be shipped by Dec. 31.
The extended timeline allows companies to fill orders that have already been placed, including those for the winter holiday season.
UPDATE: NG story here.
Kaler said the university will pursue any violations of the trademark regulations "to the fullest extent of the law. ... We will vigorously protect our right against infringement."
It shouldn't be too hard to come up with a new and better logo that us racists can use. The question is who would hold the rights. I wonder if it is possible to design a good logo, name it something legal, maybe even the "Chief" and then license it for pennies.
John
Robin Kaler quoted in today's N-G "Kaler said the university will pursue any violations of the trademark regulations "to the fullest extent of the law. ... We will vigorously protect our right against infringement" That's pretty tough talk from a organization that a month ago stood by and did nothing to save the Chief. It was about money then and it still is.
Just how similar can a logo be to the original and to be considered an infringement? How could we change the logo to still have the dramatic and traditionally strong feel?
Could we put a chef's hat on the chief and call it Chef Illiniwek?
Does anyone know where I can buy Chief toilet paper? It's been years since I've seen it, and I thought it was really cool.
We join our crew aboard the USS HSQD:
First Mate: Captain, we're getting a radio message.
Captain: Well, it's a good thing we stuck with those 1950s transmitters. Let's hear it!
(crackling) The crew hears about the end of the Chief logo.
Captain: Blimey! Raise the Chief flag! We'll fight this or go down with the ship!
First Mate: Captain! Iceberg dead ahead!
Captain: Full power! We'll let the power of tradition guide us!
Later ...
Davy Jones: Welcome to me locker, laddies!
Captain: Can we smoke here?
It's probably about many things, Gregg, but if it was really "about money," why wouldn't the university simply retire the dance and license the Chief emblem to anyone and everyone beyond the athletic department who offered it a licensing fee? Protecting against trademark infringement of the emblem while discontinuing the licensing of Chief merchandise means that, before too long, no one--and that includes UIUC--will make a dime from new Chief products. This will in fact _cost_ the university between $500,000 and a million dollars a year in revenue, most of it bound for the athletic programs. (And no, it's simply not the case that NCAA tournament games in women's soccer or men's tennis, say, once again possible at Illinois after the Chief's retirement, will pick up the slack.) Greed, it seems, is here only in the eye of the beholder.
"We join our crew aboard the USS HSQD:
First Mate: Captain, we're getting a radio message.
Captain: Well, it's a good thing we stuck with those 1950s transmitters. Let's hear it!
(crackling) The crew hears about the end of the Chief logo.
Captain: Blimey! Raise the Chief flag! We'll fight this or go down with the ship!
First Mate: Captain! Iceberg dead ahead!
Captain: Full power! We'll let the power of tradition guide us!
Later ...
Davy Jones: Welcome to me locker, laddies!
Captain: Can we smoke here?"
I sense another cartoon in the making.
Is there a TM on "Squanto" ? If not--he's the guy!!!