CLEMSON, SC (April 3, 2019) – As the Clemson Tigers wrap up spring practice in pursuit of another football championship run, Clemson Athletic officials are working with IMG College Licensing and law enforcement to address the potential sale of counterfeit and unlicensed merchandise around the 2019 Spring Weekend.
IMG College Licensing, the exclusive licensing agent for Clemson, will have investigators patrolling the marketplace in search of counterfeiters selling “knock-off” Clemson merchandise. Counterfeit merchandise is subject to seizure per state and federal laws.
With Clemson’s continued success in football, there has been an increase in non-licensed vendors looking to capitalize on the excitement of Tiger fans. In the days surrounding the national football championship celebration parade, the enforcement team of campus, local, and state police, Homeland Security, and undercover investigators found merchandise spread between Clemson and Spartanburg, resulting in three arrests and the surrender of more than 2,600 pieces of counterfeit merchandise.
In preparation of this weekend’s Spring Game, investigators will be out to protect fans from purchasing unlicensed merchandise, which is often of inferior quality and counter to the policies of the University.
To ensure fans are purchasing officially licensed Clemson merchandise, look for the following:
• All officially licensed merchandise should display the “Officially Licensed Collegiate Product” hologram somewhere on the product or hangtag. All merchandise should have the appropriate trademark designations (i.e., TM, ) next to a specific name or design.
• The merchandise should depict Clemson logos and trademarks in a tasteful manner.
• The tag on the garment should be intact. A torn or missing tag is evidence of a second-hand garment, one that probably would not meet the stringent quality standards put in place by Clemson’s trademark licensing program.
• All merchandise should bear the name of the manufacturer somewhere on the product, either in the form of a hangtag, a neck label or screen-printed directly on the garment.
The Spring Game kicks off at 2:30 pm on Saturday, April 6, at Clemson Memorial Stadium – Death Valley.
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About IMG College Licensing
IMG College Licensing is part of Learfield IMG College, which unlocks the value of college sports for brands, fans and universities through representation of collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas. As a fully integrated sports marketing and solutions platform, Learfield IMG College provides access to licensing and multimedia sponsorship management, including publishing, radio, digital and social media; fan engagement, ticket sales and professional concessions expertise; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems.
For more information, please contact:
Tammy Purves
IMG College Licensing
(404) 932-3266 or tammy.purves@img.com
