A Ravens tent run by Dan and Deborah McClure emerged last week, along U.S. 40 near Rossville Boulevard. The McClures have some official merchandise, but many of the T-shirts and sweatshirts for sale are not associated with the team or NFL. The logo is absent. So is the word Raven.
Instead, consumers get "Baltimore football" in white lettering on a purple shirt. Or a shirt with a bird that somewhat resembles a Raven. Or an "I love Joe the Quarterback" shirt. Or "Who's Next, Baltimore Gone Wild!!! Back to Tampa," all laid out in purple and white. Tampa is the site of this year's Super Bowl and where the Ravens won the championship in 2001.
The McClures run their designs by an NFL inspector they know before going to print - to see just how far they can take their merchandise.
As for the idea that they are hurting the NFL and the team by selling unofficial apparel, Dan McClure said he and his wife are simply meeting demand. "It's whatever the people want. The people dictate it. That's what we've learned in business for 20 years," he said. "We don't force something on somebody. The consumer tells us what they want, and we make it happen legally."
At a guaranteed lower price.
Official Ravens T-shirts range from $20 to $30, while a purple and white shirt may go for half of that.
Some fans say they just like having options.
"A lot of the NFL stuff is so darn expensive," said Bob Gilmore of Elkton as he purchased a couple of shirts from the McClures' tent. "The NFL has got its money in television and the cost of tickets at the stadium and everything."
The key to selling unlicensed merchandise, according to attorney Ned T. Himmelrich, is to avoid a direct connection to the NFL and Ravens. Himmelrich has more than 20 years of experience in trademark law and is the head of the intellectual property department at his firm, Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger and Hollander.
"You can probably have a purple-and-black shirt saying 'On the road to Tampa.' But can you say 'Baltimore football on the road to Tampa'? That's getting close," Himmelrich said. "Can it say Reed on the back and 'On the road to Tampa' on the front? Will the consumer be confused into believing there is a connection or sponsorship by the NFL of these shirts? A good, unlicensed shirt won't have the name Ravens, a bird or logo and will be relatively vague in connecting to the football team."
