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ARTICLE · 28 NOVEMBER 2024

Penn State Prevails In Retro Logo Infringement Suit

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The Nittany Lions are used to winning on the football field, but last week they also snagged a decisive victory in the courtroom. On November 19, a Pennsylvania jury determined...

United StatesIntellectual Property
David Halberstadter
David Halberstadter
Jessica G. Kraver
Jessica G. Kraver
Lauren Eiten
Lauren Eiten
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The Nittany Lions are used to winning on the football field, but last week they also snagged a decisive victory in the courtroom. On November 19, a Pennsylvania jury determined that online retailer, Vintage Brand ("Vintage"), its manufacturer and distributor, Sportswear Inc. d/b/a Prep Sportswear ("Sportswear"), and their owner, Chad Hartvigson, had infringed Penn State's retro trademarks.

While the university was awarded only $28,000 in damages, Penn State may well feel the monetary impact of this decision for years to come. In a nearly $5 billion dollar retail market for collegiate licensed products, universities make millions of dollars licensing their trademark to third parties,1 especially Penn State, which is a top selling university.2

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