Company questioning use of Arizona-like logo

Those who sell merchandise  featuring the “A” used as a logo for the Andalusia Bulldogs may be required to pay licensing fees in the future.

Andalusia City Schools’ board attorney, Bill Alverson, is scheduled to have a conference call this week with representatives of IMG College Licensing, the company which licenses the names and logos of college teams. IMG contacted the school system on behalf of the University of Arizona, Alverson said.

Alverson said based on initial conversations, there is a workable solution to IMG’s inquiry. He said he will argue that the logo has been modified, and therefore its use is not an infringement.

When the Bulldogs adopted the “A,” they changed the blue to black, and added “Dogs” to the bottom.”

“The bottom line may be that if businesses take this A, put it on a shirt and sell it, they will owe a licensing fee,” Alverson said.

“Hopefully, since we aren’t using it in a revenue-production situation, that will be in the end of it,” he said.

AHS head football coach Trent Taylor told board members Monday he and AHS principal Dr. Daniel Shakespeare have already talked about ways to modify the logo if IMG takes a hardline stand on the issue.

Alverson said many high schools adopt logos used by colleges.