Brand Protection

PROTECTING OUR BRAND

As a member of the Premier League for the 3^rd consecutive season, the Brighton and Hove Albion brand is increasingly recognisable around the world. The club's legal team is committed to working alongside the Premier League, Trading Standards, Customs and law enforcement officers around the world to protect our brand and our Intellectual Property (IP) and to prevent its unauthorised use.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP)

IP rights provide legal protection for important aspects of a brand such as trade marks. The club has a growing portfolio of registered trade marks, including our name, logo and nicknames:

• to hold exclusive rights to use these marks on certain goods and/or services in the United Kingdom and in various international territories;
• to licence the trade mark for use by third parties, including partners and sponsors;
• to protect the trade marks from being copied or stolen;
• to protect our fans from sellers of counterfeit goods;
• to take legal action and bring criminal charges against counterfeiters.

COUNTERFEIT GOODS

The sale of unofficial merchandise and unauthorised goods, in shops or online, to deceive consumers into believing they are genuine is commonplace. In order to protect our fans, we aim to remove these products from circulation and take legal action where necessary.

Unofficial merchandise and unauthorised goods are often of poor quality and have been manufactured in circumstances which the club is not aware and which may be in breach of English and international criminal laws such as slavery, human trafficking and organised crime. This means that for fans who purchase such goods there may be disappointment, safety concerns and limited consumer rights. More importantly, purchasing such goods may facilitate these types of criminal behaviour.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Fans should only purchase official Brighton and Hove Albion merchandise and goods from the club shop and other official Brighton and Hove Albion retailers.

While the club has its own policing methods, we also rely heavily on our fans to help us put a stop to this criminal activity. If you have any information on counterfeit goods, or the unauthorised use of any of our IP (including the words and images set out below), please do not hesitate to contact us. All information will be held in the strictest confidence, and only shared with the relevant agencies to enforce legal action.

The best way to inform us of any information you have is via email or post at the following addresses:

Email: brandprotection@bahfc.co.uk

Mail:  Brand Protection, Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Village Way, Brighton, BN1 9BL