Do You Need A License To Sell NFL Merchandise?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Do you need a license to sell NFL merchandise?

You do not need a license of any kind from the NFL to sell NFL products at retail

. This holds whether you are a bricks and mortar retailer, or an e-tailer, or both. All you need is to find NFL licensees (or distributors – see below) willing to sell their products to you.

How do you sell NFL merchandise legally?


An application to become a licensee of the NFL can be completed on the NFL website

. Your application provides pre-qualification information that is used to assess whether you qualify to sell goods that include the NFL trademark.

How much does it cost to get an NFL license to sell merchandise?

Secure

a minimum of $100,000

to meet the royalty guarantee required by the NFL. The NFL requires licensed manufacturers to pay 100 percent of the royalty guarantee every year. Ensure that your annual sales can cover this $100,000 guarantee — and ideally exceed it so that you can profit from your merchandise sales.

Can you sell items with NFL logos?

Can you sell homemade NFL stuff?

Today on Cutting for Business, I’m going to answer this question: “Can I make and sell NFL items?” My answer: “

No, you can only make NFL items if you are licensed by the NFL to do so

.”

Can you sell NFL clothing?


You do not need a license of any kind from the NFL to sell NFL products at retail

. This holds whether you are a bricks and mortar retailer, or an e-tailer, or both. All you need is to find NFL licensees (or distributors – see below) willing to sell their products to you.

Can you sell NFL shirts?

As a business owner, you may be interested in selling NFL merchandise as a licensed seller. In order to do so,

you need to register with NFL Properties LLC and meet its criteria

. Spend at least three years as a manufacturer of the product you wish to sell.

How do I get NFL licensing rights?

  1. Proof of business experience totaling three years.
  2. Proof that you are the manufacturer of the product.
  3. A prepaid royalty guarantee of $100,000.
  4. A commercial insurance policy of $6 million and liability coverage totaling $12 million.

Can you sell items with sports logos?


No. You cannot use logos without a license to do so from owners of the copyrights and trademarks.

To use a sports team’s logo

requires permission from the owner of the copyright and/or trademark

(if the logo is also used as a trademark). Permission must be in writing (copyright law requires this be in writing to be valid).

Can I use NFL photos on my website?

Not only does

unauthorized use of the NFL’s trademarks and trade dress constitute trademark infringement

, use of copyright materials without permission also constitutes copyright infringement.

Is NFL copyrighted?


“NFL,” “AFL,” and the names and nicknames of all NFL teams are also registered trademarks, owned by the NFL

. In fact, even if the terms are not used, it could be considered a copyright violation if the game is broadcast on a screen larger than 55 diagonal inches, or requires payment by viewers.

Can you use NFL in advertising?

Use of NFL Trademarks


The NFL controls all marketing rights to the conference championship games, the Super Bowl, and various associated trademarks.

Can you sell NFL stuff on ebay?

Sales of NFL product online

The NFL has announced that they are restricting all 3rd party online sales. As a licensee we will not be able to sell to anyone who sells our NFL products online through any 3rd party portal.

All sales of our NFL products must occur through the retailer’s own e-commerce site

.

Can I sell NFL products on Amazon?

In March, EcommerceBytes wrote about the notice Amazon sent to sellers warning them that

they must become NFL-authorized sellers by May 24, 2021

in order to continue selling their products on its marketplace.

Can you sell shirts with sports logos?

Yes.

You need permission (a license) to sell T shirts using Logos of professional and college teams.

Can I make my own NFL team shirt?


No you can’t

. This will likely be considered both trademark infringement and a publicity and privacy rights violation.

Can you use sports logos without permission?

The legal world has been abuzz following HBO’s decision to use intellectual property owned by NFL teams without the league’s consent, but it turns out that

as long as logos are used properly, permission is not necessary

.

Can you sell merchandise without copyright?

Can you make your own NFL gear?

This is the general premise:

You cannot make money off a sports team without permission from that team

. Team-themed kids clothing, baby outfits, knickknacks, gifts, shirts, blankets, dog dishes, flags, decor, party favors, et cetera are illegal to profit from if you do not have a license from the NFL.

Can I resell licensed products?

Generally,

it’s not illegal to resell an item that you have legitimately purchased

. Once you have purchased something at retail it is yours to do with as you choose. Manufacturers tend to have little or no control over a product past the first customer they sell to.

Can I put a Nike logo on a shirt for personal use?

In fact, copyright and trademark violations can in some cases lead to criminal charges. Selling shirts with copyrighted images isn’t impossible, but

you should never use someone else’s logos on your T-shirts or other clothing without their explicit permission

.

Are football club badges copyrighted?

Are NFL photos copyrighted?

Getty Images originally obtained exclusive commercial licensing rights to NFL related photos in 2007. However,

in 2009 the NFL accepted new bids for the exclusive rights to grant commercial licenses for NFL photographs

. The NFL accepted the Associated Press’s bid and granted it exclusive licensing.

Are NFL colors trademarked?

Contrary to your and the IL lawyer’s erroneous classification about this,

professional (and college, and high school and pee wee) sports teams’ team colors isn’t a copyright issue

. This is a trademark issue, or more specifically, it’s a “trade dress”…

Are NFL videos copyrighted?

Taping, describing, or even talking about the game



This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our audience

. Any other use of this telecast or any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL’s consent is prohibited.”

Can I use team logos on my website?


Sports team logos are trademarks in addition to being protected under copyright law

. So even if your proposed use of the logos was “fair” under copyright law — which is very, very…

Can I show the Super Bowl in my bar?


You must have the legal right to broadcast the game to the public

. One way to get that right is to use a commercial television service such as a DirecTV or Xfinity business account. The key here is that it’s a “business” account.

Can you use NFL logos on social media?

How do you buy and sell sports memorabilia?

The NBA.com logo or any other logo of the NBA or its teams (a “logo” link)

may not be used to link to NBA.com without the written permission of the Operator

.

How do I sell NFT on eBay?

Can I sell NFL merchandise on eBay?

Sales of NFL product online

The NFL has announced that they are restricting all 3rd party online sales. As a licensee we will not be able to sell to anyone who sells our NFL products online through any 3rd party portal.

All sales of our NFL products must occur through the retailer’s own e-commerce site

.

Can you sell custom jerseys?

Design Your Own Jersey


You can sell custom jerseys using our print-on-demand network on platforms like Etsy, eBay, Shopify, WooCommerce, and more

.

Does Amazon sell NFL merchandise?

Amazon will begin selling more officially licensed NFL merchandise, such as replica jerseys, tailgating products and more, thanks to a new agreement between the company and the league. Effective yesterday,

Amazon can now sell licensed NFL products from brands like Fanatics, New Era and more

.

Ahmed Ali
Author
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali is a financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked for major banks and investment firms, and has a wealth of knowledge on investing, real estate, and tax planning. Ahmed is also an advocate for financial literacy and education.