West Virginia University filed a motion Thursday for a temporary restraining order to stop the sale and production of unlicensed WVU T-shirts, which includes some offensive apparel.
MivaMan LLC/Fastees.com, which has been producing and selling the apparel, is not a licensed WVU vendor and infringed on WVU marks by mimicking uniforms of athletic teams, WVU's official colors and WVU's official typeface – and using it with offensive items, according to a recent press release.
The move was precipitated by the recent flooding of the market with the infringing T-shirts, the press release said.
The University has acted to not only protect it's image, but the image of the students, alumni, faculty and fans.
In September 2011, WVU Athletic Director Oliver Luck released an open letter to fans urging them not to wear the offensive T-shirts after a student had been seen wearing one on ESPN.
After the request, the Mountaineer Maniacs started a T-shirt amnesty program, which accepted the offensive and unlicensed apparel and offered students a voucher to promote positive sportsmanship and attempt to discourage the shirts.
The University is right to protect its image and hopefully banish the offensive T-shirts for good, especially since the makers are not following the law.
It is a crucial time for WVU to have and maintain a positive image since it will soon be entering the Big 12 Conference. Stopping the spread of offensive merchandise will help the University, and all those associated with it, keep a positive national presence and athletic support.
Friends don't let friends wear offensive WVU T-shirts; it reflects badly upon the WVU community and discredits the school.
What's the point of spending thousands of hard-earned dollars to obtain a quality education if you want your school's image to be downgraded by vulgar apparel, which is exactly what the T-shirts are doing.
The University has worked to better the image of the school and protect its reputation – do your part, and don't support the offensive apparel.