The Fourth Circuit’s Application of The Fair Use Doctrine in Bouchat v. Baltimore Ravens, Ltd. P’Ship, p. 112-114

Thomas A. Baker III
Kevin K. Byon

According to Fullerton (2010), licensing is a value adding process that provides sport organizations (both licensor and licensee) with significant revenue streams. For instance, the National Football League (NFL) is projected to earn $2.7 billion from the sales of logoed merchandise (Rovell, 2010). In order for sport organizations to maximize benefits as licensors and licensees, it is imperative that they develop and maintain a licensing plan for copyrighted marks and logos. A well-developed licensing plan would guide sport organizations in protecting the brand value of their own works and assist them in avoiding the possible misuse of works that are protected by other organizations or individuals. The Fourth Circuit’s recent decision in Bouchat v. Baltimore Ravens, Ltd. P’Ship (2010) demonstrates the value of copyright protection and the potential pitfalls that await sport organizations and leagues that infringe on copyrighted works.