Clampdown on copyright infringements on badges by Chelsea FC

[Valky]

I have been a Chelsea supporter for many years (first game 1987 and my father and grandfather both regularly attended).
Over the past season or so Chelsea FC have really clamped down on badge sellers around the ground - so much so that many of those who sell from pub to pub try to disguise the fact that they even have a badge board.
Those in stalls around the ground are not allowed to use the words "Chelsea FC" or even "Chelsea" on any home made memorabillia... this means that the badges being produced are truly woeful with some just stating, "The Chels".
They also are not permitted to use any past or present logos of the club on unnofficial memorabillia. Means badges look truly awful and there is very little choice in the club shop. Here is an example of one badge they are selling in the stalls around the stadium.

There were no badges from the club to commemorate Chelsea's double last season for instance.
There is a part of me that does want as much revenue to return to the club as possible but these memorabilia sellers around the ground are not exactly going to buy Ferraris for the merchandise they sell... and the club is not exactly adding many of their own designs.
Then I see Chelsea lending their name to these piece of crap badges licensed by the Danbury Mint http://www.danburymint.co.uk/i.....kiks_code= for £9.95 a pop!
What does everyone else think? Have other clubs clamped down on copyrighting?
It seems permissible for counterfeit Chelsea memorabilia to be sold on EBay without any problems at all![/code]

[Kickoff3pm]

I would be very suprised if the club or rather the company have rights to the word chelsea. I would say as long as the badges are not themed on the club ie. Chelsea FC etc, then anyone is free to produce badges with the word chelsea on it or indeed football. They wouldn't be able to use the logo or image of the ground though.

Long gone are the days when my family used to spend weekday evening making rossettes, scarfs & hats to sell outside the Albion on a Saturday.

[Dorking]

Very sad state of affairs to be honest. If Chelsea met the demand from fans a bit more then they would make more money themselves (ok you'll always get 'completists' who would buy everything, but they are a real minority.

There's a Celtic collector who has vast Celtic collection on literally several thousand Celtic badges (he has his own website for them) and most games he gets half a dozen new match badges - for European nights, he gets about a dozen per fixture!! Celtic have clamped down on it for a few years, so most of the badges he gets only say 'Hoops' or 'Celts'. Real shame.

The Danbury mint ones though - although 9.95 is rather steep, they are gold plated, and I'd absolutely love it if my club (Palace) had their own series of these. Trouble is after about 3 badges, not many colectors would want to buy badges commemorating 'Evening Standard 5 a side winners 1959' etc!!!

[Valky]

Arf!
Yes the match badges do annoy me a bit - when someone produces 20 match badges in various colours for just a one-off Champions League tie...
Chelsea could make one-off official badge instead but they don't!
I just think the Danbury mint ones are really poorly designed and they don't even mention how many there are in the collection on their site.

[bangkok badges]

Chelsea do not have any rights to the word Chelsea
Stallholders are bullied by the council not to make unofficial memorabilia using the word Chelsea
We make Chelsea away badges at various grounds and yes we do them in 4 colours as that is what our customers have asked.
As mentioned in another post, I certainly dont drive a ferrari and get a working mans wage from my badge business
I can be contacted at my daughters email address
[email protected]

Alan

[Valky]

It has nothing to do with the council whatsoever... this is all Chelsea FC's doing!