With the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four games looming, the Collegiate Licensing Co. (CLC), Atlanta, in coordination with the NCAA, is preparing to clear the marketplace of potential counterfeit or unlicensed merchandise.
CLC is the exclusive trademark licensing agent for the NCAA, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Villanova University, Syracuse University and the University of Oklahoma, all of whom are playing in the Men’s Final Four, as well as all four schools in the Women’s Final Four.
In coordination with Houston and Indianapolis — where the Final Four games are being held — the CLC plans to search and seize counterfeit and unauthorized merchandise.
Retail sales of licensed merchandise during the championships are expected to top $10 million.
“By protecting the brands of our partner institutions, we are helping ensure that fans and consumers get high-quality, authentic merchandise, the sale of which directly benefits collegiate programs at NCAA institutions,” says Bruce Siegal, CLC’s senior vice president and general counsel. “CLC will work with a team of law-enforcement officials in the Houston and Indianapolis areas to comprehensively cover the venue and event areas, stop counterfeiters, and safeguard customers from being sold inferior and counterfeit products.”
For more information, visit clc.com. — J.B.