if law works anything like politics their new uniforms should make getting rid of their patent on "State" pretty easy. nevermind that it's ridiculous they have the patent in the first place





[Edited on September 22, 2010 at 7:04 PM. Reason : if they patented 'MSU' wtf does Mississippi State do?]

[Edited on September 22, 2010 at 7:07 PM. Reason : \/yea my bad, same intent meant]

9/22/2010 7:02:47 PM

Well I think they're full of shit (or they're referring to a case where its included in a logo...like if it had a Spartan helmet and the word State). I can't even find a mark for the word "state" registered for Michigan State. FSU has two or three and they all had the disclaimer "Disclaimer No claim is made to the exclusive right to use the word "State", apart from the mark as shown."


http://tess2.uspto.gov/

[Edited on September 22, 2010 at 7:05 PM. Reason : ^ a patent is different from a trademark FYI ]

9/22/2010 7:05:16 PM

Look, I'm not disagreeing that it's bullshit, but it is what it is. Until one thing or another happens, MSU is the only school allowed to use it, and I know for a fact that they have pursued litigation against schools in the past.


"Disclaimer No claim is made to the exclusive right to use the word "State", apart from the mark as shown."


My interpretation: "State" + distinctive logotype = exclusive right


"State" alone WITHOUT the distinctive FSU logotype = Trademark infringement




and as you'll notice - none of Florida State's paraphernalia uses "State" by itself, either.

9/22/2010 7:25:29 PM

Quote :

"Because Adidas cant even get the fucking red right. Not once in their contract span have they ever even come close to getting our red on the uniforms right. Their off the field wear is pretty bad about this, too. It's not hard to use a University supplied color palette, but time and time again Adidas does their own fucking thing and the University lets them get away with it."

i do not share your fury in this regard.

9/22/2010 7:28:06 PM

^^ thats b/c under normal circumstances the USPTO would never approve a common word as a trademark. The company/group/org would have to create some type of logo with it (like Staples' block text logo) to make it distinctively theirs.

I can't find any info about cases where MSU tried to sue other schools over the use of the word State.

9/22/2010 7:40:31 PM

Quote :

"Because Adidas cant even get the fucking red right. Not once in their contract span have they ever even come close to getting our red on the uniforms right. Their off the field wear is pretty bad about this, too. It's not hard to use a University supplied color palette, but time and time again Adidas does their own fucking thing and the University lets them get away with it."

that's dumb. what jerseys weren't the right red? every one i have ever seen is state red.

also, my red nike shirts turned pink after one wash, so fuck them.

9/22/2010 7:43:58 PM

^ Look at the last nike jersey vs the first adidas one. hold them up side by side and tell me that they're the same color.

9/22/2010 7:53:47 PM

The only problem I have with Under Armour, besides their extremely lame advertising, is their spelling.

Armour???

THEY AIN'T EVEN BRITISH.

NAH I'M SAYIN?????

9/22/2010 8:00:26 PM

I saw somewhere on Pack Pride where someone posted that the Wolfpack Unlimited response thing got back to them that they had gauged fan response and know that fans want STATE on the basketball jerseys. Someone also said that we were getting new jerseys this year, so I don't know what we're doing in terms of those.

9/22/2010 8:55:53 PM

I think we have to get new ones since the ones we wore last year are a nearly 5 year old design now.

I mean, I'd prefer to see last year's stay as long as possible. They actually look classy compared to some of the crappy designs people wear. I don't like the tight fit stuff.

As for "STATE" on the uniforms, the main reason why it will never change has nothing to do with Michigan State and everything to do with our Sports Marketing geniuses insisting that we brand as "NC STATE". That's why even when Sid tried to make the change last year, they ended up adding that horrifying "NC" on top.

This is the same reason why we are "NCST" on ESPN and not NCSU, which we'd all prefer, since we actually identify ourselves as having gone to NCSU. Duke. Wake. UNC. NCST? No, NCSU.

9/23/2010 12:20:23 AM

Has anyone even posted a link backing this claim up?

9/23/2010 7:46:07 AM

Yeah there is no way MSU owns the word "State"

In their colors and distinctive font maybe but definitely not as a general word mark

9/23/2010 7:59:51 AM

We are getting new unis this year, but they should be the same design as last year, just in the new, more form fitting adidas uni they came out with this year.

Yow has responded to people that she understands people's request for 'State' but it was too late to do anything this year, the jerseys had already been ordered.

9/23/2010 10:10:41 AM

Quote :

"Has anyone even posted a link backing this claim up?"

Quote :

"Common MSU trademarks include the official University logotype, Contemporary Spartan Helmet, Sparty Mascot (full-length), Block S, Spartan Football Helmet, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, MICHIGAN STATE, MSU, MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS, SPARTANS, STATE, and GO GREEN/GO WHITE. Michigan State University is also known as Michigan State, MSU and State. http://licensing.msu.edu/trademarks.html"

9/23/2010 10:11:53 AM

Quote :

"This is the same reason why we are "NCST" on ESPN and not NCSU, which we'd all prefer, since we actually identify ourselves as having gone to NCSU. Duke. Wake. UNC. NCST? No, NCSU. "

We are NCST because of former chancellor Marye Anne Fox. That NC State branding shit was all her idea, both NCST and removing the periods(no more N.C. State)

9/23/2010 11:31:22 AM

Quote :

"I think we have to get new ones since the ones we wore last year are a nearly 5 year old design now."

why would that be a problem.

our basketball uniforms are great, no need to change them just to change them. they're simple and good.

9/23/2010 11:36:48 AM

removing the periods was a good move. NCST = turrrible

9/23/2010 12:08:15 PM

My 2 cents...

I would just like to keep the current block font instead of something like this

9/23/2010 12:16:12 PM

form-fitted basketball jersey? god I hope not.

9/23/2010 12:27:44 PM

Quote :

"Because Adidas cant even get the fucking red right. Not once in their contract span have they ever even come close to getting our red on the uniforms right. Their off the field wear is pretty bad about this, too. It's not hard to use a University supplied color palette, but time and time again Adidas does their own fucking thing and the University lets them get away with it."

Very true...went to buy a hat a few weeks ago, and noticed that there were various shades of red on the rack. Basically had to choose between nice quality hat (Adidas only has one) and cheap hat in the right color.

Quote :

"Common MSU trademarks include the official University logotype, Contemporary Spartan Helmet, Sparty Mascot (full-length), Block S, Spartan Football Helmet, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, MICHIGAN STATE, MSU, MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS, SPARTANS, STATE, and GO GREEN/GO WHITE. Michigan State University is also known as Michigan State, MSU and State."

This cant be referring to simple use of the word. If that was the case, San Jose State, Norfolk State, UNC-Greensboro, Minnesota State, Missouri State, Mississippi State, and the Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps would all be infringing on their trademark..among many others.

9/23/2010 1:28:03 PM

Quote :

"why would that be a problem. our basketball uniforms are great, no need to change them just to change them. they're simple and good."

I'm pretty sure adidas has a say in that. I think they'll want us wearing whatever new shit they have, as stipulated by our contract.

9/23/2010 1:28:23 PM

because I was curious about the NCST/NCSU thing above...sounds like ESPN needs to get it together...

Quote :

"ESPN's use of NCST as opposed to NCSU has not been a branding effort on the part of NC State. We have talked numerous times to the people in Bristol and have been told that their research shows that the abbreviations they use are more recognizable nationally to people who aren't familiar with NC State. We have this discussion with them every year and the answer is always the same. They have been unwilling to change what they use for that reason. We will continue to address this with them and hopefully soon we can get the answer we want!"

Quick, thorough, courteous response from Wolfpack Unlimited = +1 Credibility

9/24/2010 6:48:46 AM

^Makes sense, although its an odd response, considering I dont recall the last time ESPN used "NCST" on a score bug...its been a couple of years at least.

9/24/2010 10:54:18 AM

On the bottom line, ESPN uses NC State b/c they have space to, but when they are showing our game, the score/time graphic in the corner usually says NCST

9/24/2010 12:23:08 PM

The first time I remember seeing that was at the Tangerine Bowl. The endzone scoreboard had "NCST".

9/25/2010 9:28:47 AM

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/100923_NBA_uniforms&sportCat=nba

maybe our new basketball jerseys will be like the new NBA ones.

9/29/2010 9:19:03 PM

9/30/2010 2:22:49 PM

uh oh

9/30/2010 2:23:24 PM

decent...give me the front pls

9/30/2010 2:23:39 PM

Looks nice. I'd like to know what is across the front though.

9/30/2010 2:25:16 PM

Yeah, that is Tracy Smith's facebook picture right now. I didn't see a picture of the front posted

9/30/2010 2:27:01 PM

I like that.

9/30/2010 2:28:17 PM

seems to be the same jersey the NBA is moving to. Looks good!

9/30/2010 2:29:01 PM

tell tracy he needs to show the front fo sho

9/30/2010 2:36:37 PM

baller uni's so far

9/30/2010 3:06:10 PM

If it just has "State" instead of " NC State" I'm gonna flip. However, can't go wrong with either. Back of the uni looks great. Love reppin' the league prominently like that.

9/30/2010 3:12:41 PM

ACC ACC ACC

9/30/2010 3:13:12 PM

at first i thought we finally switched to the extended cut length for the tanktop but then i saw the shadow through the jersey,,, still basic... want to see the front asap

9/30/2010 3:48:08 PM

What we can see looks good at least.

It looks like there will be a student only autograph session tomorrow according to facebook. Someone should go and snap some pics so we can see the whole thing.

9/30/2010 4:26:27 PM

The student only portion of the session is 4:30-5:00. The general public will be allowed in at 5:00 and the event lasts until 6:30.

9/30/2010 4:27:27 PM

nc

STATE

9/30/2010 4:27:50 PM

9/30/2010 4:30:02 PM

Do the numbers on those look vaguely like the numbers on the Bucs white unis to anyone else? I guess it's just the lighting in the picture.

This is a replica, so it's starker since it's not the stitched letters. Still, it looks like red and then a different shade of orangish red.

[Edited on September 30, 2010 at 5:28 PM. Reason : .]

9/30/2010 5:27:51 PM

From PP

Quote :

"As I posted in the another thread the new uniforms are a part of the new Adidas 30 Revolution System designed for the NBA. NC State is one of 12 schools that will be wearing the new style uniforms."

9/30/2010 5:43:56 PM

^^ If they did that after all the complaints last year, the contracts with the design firm should be ripped up and burnt

9/30/2010 5:44:22 PM

Quote :

"Look, I'm not disagreeing that it's bullshit, but it is what it is. Until one thing or another happens, MSU is the only school allowed to use it, and I know for a fact that they have pursued litigation against schools in the past. "

i was going to post that there is absolutely 0% chance that michigan state has a trademark on the word "state". If that was possible, every single word in the dictionary would be trademarked by now. but i saw that link that everyone else had posted to the MSU licensing website....jeez


i would suspect it would be a very easy legal decision should ANY university contest the use of the word "state"

[Edited on September 30, 2010 at 7:04 PM. Reason : link already posted ]

9/30/2010 7:01:50 PM

Welcome to a few weeks ago, jdman

9/30/2010 7:02:39 PM

yeah, i can see this thread has moved on...just reading old stuff and got worked up about it

9/30/2010 7:05:18 PM

Anybody go to the event this afternoon and get a look at the new uniforms?

10/1/2010 11:21:07 PM

They didn't have the new uniforms on, but I asked Javi about them and he said they say NC State, but nothing about how it looks on the jersey.

i.e.

NC
STATE

or

NC STATE

but I think it would be like last year's with NC STATE

[Edited on October 2, 2010 at 12:01 AM. Reason : .]

10/2/2010 12:01:01 AM