The Student News Site of Sacramento City College

The Express

The Student News Site of Sacramento City College

The Express

The Student News Site of Sacramento City College

The Express

Trademark dispute with USC forces logo change for City College athletics

USC informed the Los Rios Community College District that City College’s athletic logo infringed upon one of USC’s trademarked logos. Pictured are the two logos. USC (left), City College (right).
USC informed the Los Rios Community College District that City College’s athletic logo infringed upon one of USC’s trademarked logos. Pictured are the two logos. USC (left), City College (right).

Collegiate athletic teams, like professional teams, are identified by the logos on their uniforms, hats or helmets. These logos often consist of the team’s mascot or an abbreviated form of the city or school in the team’s name.

The City College logo, for example, is an interlocking “SC”, but that will change in the next two years.

For the first time since introducing its logo 40 years ago, City College is being forced to change it. Earlier this year the University of Southern California contacted Los Rios Community College District lawyers to inform them that the school’s logo, which resembles the USC brand, was in violation of their trademark USC logo.

J.P. Sherry, general counsel for the district, is in charge of going over the cease and desist letter the district received March 23 as well as handling the legal actions on behalf of City College

“The letter said, ‘Those are our logos, and you have interfered with the use of them, and we would like you to change them,’” said Sherry.

For City College that means that all school apparel and athletic uniforms bearing the logo must go, Sherry said. If the college does not comply, it could face serious consequences, such as a copyright lawsuit from USC.

Coaches, faculty and legal counsel for City College believe the school had a strong argument for challenging USC over the use of the logo, but ultimately they decided it would be best to change the logo.

“There certainly were merits and challenges we could’ve made to the logo challenge, but it was far more economical to come up with a logo that works for Sacramento City College,” said Sherry.

According to Athletic Director Mitch Campbell, the cost to produce the new family of logos will range from $5,000 to $7,000.

Campbell said that he, Los Rios district officials and City College President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery searched for outside agencies to bid on the job. The Martin Davis Design Write Company won the bid and will create a new family of logos. Campbell expects the design company to have them done by the end of 2015.
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“We felt in the athletic realm that it would be best to go outside and get some help to meet the approval of our coaches, faculty and staff,” said Campbell.

However, not everyone seems to be embracing the fact that the school will have a new set of logos.

“It’s been on our hats for 40 years. It’s sad to lose it,” said baseball head coach Derek Sullivan. “I am not happy about it at all. I wish we didn’t have to do it.”

The baseball and softball teams currently use the logo the most. According to photos in past issues of The Express, located in the City College archives, the school switched from a single old English-style “S” on the baseball team’s hat to the overlaying “SC” in the spring of 1975.

Each year the baseball team orders new hats but not new uniforms. Sullivan said he was given the green light by Campbell to come up with an interim logo until a new one is adopted.

“Within the department, we started the process of adopting some new trademarks, some new looks, so what I did was put together a mix of an ‘S’ with a panther scratch through it,” said Sullivan.

Both baseball and softball programs start new seasons in the spring, and right now it’s uncertain if the teams will have new uniforms. However, neither team will have to press the issue of getting new ones because of a “grace period of a couple of years,” Campbell said.

According to Campbell and Sherry, as part of the negotiation process between City College and USC, it was agreed that the college could have two years to change the logo.

City College is gearing up for its 100th anniversary, and now it appears that the athletic department, along with the school, will be ushering in a new era, something Campbell said he welcomes.

“I’m certainly respectful of those athletes that wore the logo in the past, but more prominently I’m looking at this as a great opportunity to come together and to have a symbol that will carry us into the future,” said Campbell.

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