Texas A&M PO'ed that the Seahawks are using "The 12th Man"
 

I guess it wasn't much of a problem when Seattle sucked, considering they've been using it for over 20 years. Maybe now they'll add the A&M to their baseball jerseys, since people might get them confused with the Longhorns.

http://www.thebatt.com/media/paper65...ww.thebatt.com

A&M, Seahawks caught in licensing battle over 12th Man
By: Sonia Moghe
Issue date: 1/27/06 Section: News

With the Super Bowl approaching, the Seattle Seahawks' own 12th Man flag caught the attention of Texas A&M fans who watched the Seattle team advance during the NFL playoffs.

A&M Athletic Director Bill Byrne said the Office of Collegiate Licensing is working on having the Seahawks cease and desist their use of the trademark.

"We had similar situations with the Buffalo Bills and the Chicago Bears, and they responded quickly with our requests to stop using our Twelfth Man trademark," Byrne said in his weekly update address. "But Seattle has been slow-rolling us."

Representatives from the Seahawks would not comment.

The Seahawks retired their No. 12 jersey in honor of their fans in 1984 and have flown a 12th Man flag in their end zone at Qwest Field.

The Aggies' Twelfth Man tradition started in 1922 when E. King Gill, a student not on the football team, suited up and stood on the sidelines of a football game in case his help was needed.

Jeff Schmahl, the senior associate athletic director for external operations, said it is important to protect trademarks at all times, and that the Seahawks' advancing to the Super Bowl for the first time does not give this incident more importance.

"If you don't protect your copyrights and trademarks you can lose them," Schmahl said.

A person who identified herself as an A&M student in an online forum said that as a Seattle native, she agrees A&M has rights to the Twelfth Man, but that she sees benefits in Seattle using the name, too.

"Seeing the flag and over winter break, seeing the 12(th) Man signs…it's not all that bad to let Seattle in on the…12th Man," the student wrote. "I like having the two teams I root for having a common bond."

A&M President Robert M. Gates briefly mentioned the Seahawks' use of the trademark during a Wednesday student senate meeting, said junior political science major and student senator J.P. Morris.

"The 12th Man was started here at A&M," he said. "We started the whole concept, it sounds a lot like they stole the original idea. I don't like how they are using one of our registered trademarks."

Farging dorks.

I think the fact that Seattle has been using it for over 20 years without any challenge may not bode well for A&M. After all, like the guy said, if you don't protect your trademark rights, you can lose them... and they haven't protected them for over 20 years with the Seahawks.

So should all sports teams except Pittsburgh Steelers put a ban on fans waving towels in the stands during the playoffs?

(and yeah, I had to do some googling here, since I thought it was a Vancouver Canucks invention from back in 1982, but apparently the Steelers were first, waving yellow towels back in '75)

The Steelers aren't asshats :).

Last year, A&M tried to sue Tom Brady for wearing the number 12 in the Super Bowl.

(okay, I made that one up)

:D Well done!

The 12th Woman....mmmmmmm....

That's almost as bad as somebody trademarking "Three-Peat" and getting money from everyone who ever wants to use it again (especially if the name of that guy were Pat Reilly).

The 12th man in Brady's case...

Am I the only one that had no idea that the A&M "founded" the 12th man? (or that Seattle used it?)

I have heard telecasts and radio broadcasts use that term for as long as I can remember.

News to me too. I better go trademark the 10th man for baseball and the 7th man for basketball really quick.. (figure the NBA might have the 6th man already trademarked so..)

Don't forget the 2nd Man for golf.

or the 3rd woman in women tennis double...

FM

great move by Pat actually. I was watching ESPN about a month ago and they said that he has made over $300,000 on the phrase since he trademarked it.

Yeah, news to me. Funny, but....I guess I get it. Though I dunno what they get from teams using it. Seems to me that it'd be smarter to license it and have the teams pay them royalties.

The "12th Man" flag is actually a big blue flag that just has a 12 on it. I did know you could trademark a number :D

I remember the 12th man being a big deal with the Seahawks back almost to the beginning of the franchise. It was certainly not something that was so obscure that Texas A&M could reasonably say they were unaware of it.

Even if Texas A&M owns the trademark (and that's pretty doubtful in the first place unless they registered it), it's such a weak trademark that I can't imagine they have a legitimate case. I mean, who thinks "12th man" when they hear Texas A&M mentioned?

i thought you couldn't trademark a number...

isn't that why Intel switched from the 80x86 nomenclature to pentium with the 80586?

...anyone who lives in the great state of Texas does.

you can't trademark a number. You can, however trademard a number in a certain script (font). Though, then the art of the design is what is tradmarked...not the actual number.

dola:

I think everybody who remembers football from the 70s/80s will associate the 12th man with the seahawks. Granted, there are passionate fans in other cities that would deserve more credit than the old kingdome crowd.

So what you're saying is, nobody that matters? :D

I may not think of it immediately, but the caption at Kyle Field, "Home of the 12th Man" is something that comes to my mind in assocation with aTm. And I only spent six years in Houston with one trip through College Station.

First thing that comes to my mind. I didn't even know it had any association with the Seahawks until I read this article.

This article only briefly touches on it, and I assume it's still a tradition at A&M, but the entire kick-off unit is made up of regular students. That's why they are called the "12th man." Only the kicker is actually a football player. I thought this was common knowledge among college football fans and one of the more interesting traditions in college football.

Not common


Not all that interesting either.

ok i'm trademarking 69.. so everytime you 69.. you owe me... 69.. thanks for your time

The tradition has changed over the years. I think now, they only have one representative of the students in uniform. For more information on the Aggie tradition, try this:

http://aggietraditions.tamu.edu/12thman.shtml

And in my original post, I meant to say that I didn't think you could trademark a number.

Ugh, Aggies... :rolleyes:

You just lost your tip next time I eat at Olive Garden. ;)

Hah, I knew you or Tasan would get angry at me... :D

Huh. I lived in College Station in 1983-84, but haven't been back since. And then they sucked after the Bo Jackson goal line stand and that one year they destroyed Texas. I stopped paying attention to them after that.

I like A&M for the tradition and all, but trademarking it seems, well, rather silly. The fact Seattle has done this for years...good.

Screw the Aggies. Not to say I'm an Aggie hater. If I were to like any team other than Tennessee, it would probably be A&M for the tradition of the 12th man. I just don't this trademarking junk.

Dola: I think I'll trademark the use of the word "dola."

Too late, you owe me $100.