PennLive reports that Little League Baseball, Inc. has big league trademark infringement problems stemming from the unauthorized use of its iconic name. The first LITTLE LEAGUE trademark was registered in 1957, and the Pennsylvania-based organization currently owns a portfolio of dozens of U.S. and foreign trademark registrations protecting the LITTLE LEAGUE mark and logo. As the largest youth-oriented sports organization in the world, Little League has a strong interest in maintaining its brand identity, and has a vigorous enforcement policy regarding its trademark rights.

Little League promotes itself on the web and on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, and has taken advantage of the increasing popularity of such social media sites to extend its visibility. However, the organization claims that the growth of social media in particular has resulted in an increase in infringing activity. Little League’s primary enforcement goal is to maintain exclusivity and control over its trademarks, rather than monetary damages. The organization also fears that the LITTLE LEAGUE mark could become the generic name for youth baseball, resulting in the loss of its trademark rights through “genericide.” In view of the fact that the list of infringers includes individuals, companies, a musical group, the media, and the Army National Guard, that concern may be well founded. Read the full article here.

Reposted from PennLive.