Crimson Tide’s Smothering Brand Defense

A bakery near the University of Alabama campus that features Crimson Tide-themed cookies and cakes was hit with a demand for a licensing fee, something that shocked the bakery’s owner. But it was just business as usual according to Cory Moss, senior vice president and managing director at Collegiate Licensing Company. CLC trolls the Internet for people selling unlicensed merchandise. Moss calls them counterfeiters. Selling unlicensed items, he says, robs universities of revenue that goes toward scholarships and athletic programs. “Holy crap,”said the bakery owner, but she bought the license. The collegiate merchandise market takes in $4.6 billion in annual sales.