The 12th Man Copyright Saga

Long before the Seattle Seahawks’ “12^th Man” fan-base buoyed the team to this weekend’s Super Bowl, Texas A&M held trademarks for the term. IP attorney Beth Hutchens breaks down the history of the 12^th Man term, and discusses the licensing agreement that was forged after the Seahawks spurned Texas A&M’s requests to stop using the term. As per the agreement, the blue-and-green flags Seahawks fans will be waving in Phoenix this weekend simply have the number 12 on them, rather than referring to “the 12^th Man,” but oddly enough, the same agreement allow them to use “12^th Man” elsewhere (at least until 2016).