Baseball Trademarks

Major League Baseball is not, contrary to recent press reports, charging $6 more per uniform for youth leagues this season. Nor will the cost of a Little League uniform jump 30% as also reported. These numbers are the product of inaccurate reporting by several major news organizations and are flat out wrong.

In recent years, Major League Baseball has targeted manufacturers that sell unlicensed merchandise to consumers (including youth leagues). By selling this merchandise, which is generally very low in quality, the manufacturers are breaking federal trademark laws. Our aim in stopping the unlicensed manufacturers from producing and selling products with our clubs’ names is to bring these manufacturers into compliance with the law and not to earn money from youth baseball leagues.

To ensure that youth leagues can purchase legal merchandise at a reasonable cost, we have worked with several licensees to produce uniforms that are designed specifically for youth leagues and which sell at prices which youth organizations can afford. This has been in place since 1992.

Again, Major League Baseball is not trying to earn money from youth baseball, as you suggest (editorial, Feb. 19). In fact, we have guaranteed that the amount of money we donate to youth baseball will exceed the amount we receive from the sale of licensed goods to youth organizations. Last year, MLB and its clubs donated $5.5 million to youth baseball in North America.

MLB and its clubs would like nothing more than for every young boy and girl playing youth baseball to wear uniforms bearing the names and logos of major league teams. Today’s youth are vital to the long-term health of the game. It is our goal to make sure that they can feel connected with Major League Baseball through their youth team names and logos.

DON GIBSON

Vice President, General Counsel

Office of the Commissioner, MLB

New York