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KU Awarded $127K For Trademark Violations

1,121 views · Published 16 July 2008 · 0:49 · Indexed 21 September 2026

Channel: KMBC 9 · 2008 · News & Politics

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federal jury ruled Monday that a Lawrence clothing store must pay the University of Kansas $127,000 for trademark infringement for selling unlicensed Jayhawk-related merchandise. 


After two days of deliberations, the eight-person jury ruled that Larry Sinks, owner of Joe-College.com, had infringed on the university's trademark by selling unlicensed T-shirts online and through his store. 


"We agree with the jury that all three defendants willfully infringed on and diluted our marks," Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins said in a statement. "This is an important victory for the University of Kansas, its reputation and its students, who receive approximately $1 million annually in scholarships from trademark revenue." 


The award, though, was well below the $500,000 the school had sought. The jury also ruled that about 75 percent of the 206 shirts Joe-College.com sold did not violate any trademark. 


An attorney for Joe-College.com said the store will remain in business, though the judge said she would enter an injunction prohibiting the further sale of the infringing shirts.

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