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District says third-party vendors sold school logos; board member seeks audit and trademark cleanup
Summary
Board members reported Sept. 9 that third-party vendors obtained perpetual rights to school logos via historical contracts; the district engaged pro bono counsel to pursue trademark filings and plans an audit of revenue returned to schools.
Board members raised concerns at the Sept. 9 meeting about third-party vendors who contracted with school officials in earlier years and sold school logos and trademarks without clear district oversight. The board said it has engaged pro bono counsel to begin reclaiming trademark rights and will pursue an audit of revenues from those arrangements.
A board member said the law firm Volk (referred to in the meeting) agreed to assist pro bono to file trademarks for schools and to help unwind problematic vendor contracts. The board member said the district discovered third-party vendors had collected signatures from athletic directors and other local staff in 2011'2013 on what appear to be perpetual contracts; in some cases, schools received little or no revenue from sales.
Board members said the district will pilot a process with a few high schools (Satellite Beach, Viera and O'Galley were mentioned) to standardize trademark and logo management, then roll the process out to other schools. The board member said the district will request an audit of vendor payments and revenue splits so schools can determine whether they received appropriate shares. District bookkeepers were asked to search for historical revenue and contracts.
No formal board action or contract award was recorded during the meeting. Board members said further steps will include written notices, potential recovery of rights, and a districtwide process for registering and licensing school marks to protect revenue streams and ensure appropriate use.
The discussion noted the prevalence of branded goods sold by national retailers supplied by third-party vendors and emphasized that signatures taken by local staff do not necessarily equate to valid perpetual assignments of district intellectual property. The board said it will provide updates after initial pilot work and the planned audit.
