Major League Baseball Greed

Trademark licensing, are they kidding? Major League Baseball, MLB, has now decided to license their logos to the little leaguers. According to the MLB, those little league teams that copy the logos of their favorite big league team for their uniforms somehow violates their trademark. In true corporate greedy fashion, the MLB now wants to charge the little guys a trademark license fee of $3.00 per head to wear those uniforms.

What is the point? The courts have ruled in past decisions that unless trademarks remain protected, that the trademark owners stand a chance of losing those trademarks. In other words, protect your trademark or lose it. So to insure that established trademarks remain uniquely to a particular team, then anyone who uses that trademark must be licensed to do so.

I have no kick in trademark protection, especially when it pertains to commercial concerns that like to use the popularity of a franchise to sell goods with unlicensed trademarks. But who in their right mind ever thought that this frenzy of greed and protection would reach out to our kids in the little league. Theirs is not a commercial enterprise. In fact other than the parents of these kids, not many come to see them play, and they are not out there marketing trademarked goods that are not related to their particular team.

The MLB could have allowed the licensing to the little leaguers for a nominal fee, say a nickel per player, or free even. But no, they insist on receiving $3.00 per person for their share. I'm sure that the MLB is licking its chops over the extra millions that they will rake in from the little-leagues.

The little leaguers do have the option of not naming their teams after a MLB team, but that would take something from the thrill of playing. What would a kid rather say? That he plays for the Gophers or that he plays for the Red Sox.

Shame on MLB for this outrage. These teams have not stolen a trademark in the last fifty years, so why does the MLB think that they are owed now. Does corporate greed come to mind?

Cheers,

-Robert-