Brand Protection & Trademarks
The Portsmouth FC brand stands as one of the Club’s most vital assets. While the team may evolve over time, the enduring essence of the Club's brand helps preserve the proud tradition associated with Portsmouth FC.
In the current era, where English leagues enjoy international acclaim and attract opportunistic exploiters, safeguarding our brand and intellectual property has become more crucial than ever before.
This page provides additional insight into why the Club fights to protect its brand, how you can contribute to safeguarding our identity and the appropriate steps to take if you wish to utilise any of the Club's intellectual property.
What do we mean by the Club's brand/intellectual property?
The club's intellectual property primarily comprises its trademarks and the Club name. These trademarks include logos and phrases that are synonymous with Portsmouth FC, such as:
• The Club's crest
• The Club's name
• The Club's nickname ('Pompey')
Infringement
The unauthorised use of any of the intellectual property, whether on websites, printed materials, garments, company names, or slogans constitutes a violation of the Club's trademarks.
What is Counterfeiting?
Counterfeiting is the deliberate act of deceiving consumers by copying, manufacturing and marketing goods bearing well-known trademarks. You may encounter counterfeit items associated with the Club in stores, on the streets or online. Such products range from clothing and accessories to phone covers and tobacco items.
As the Club lacks control over the production of these goods, they are often of inferior quality, potentially unsafe and manufactured under conditions that fail to meet the Club's high standards.
Why do we strive to protect the Club's brand?
Improper use of the Club's identity hampers its ability to license the brand to key sponsors and partners. It results in a loss of control over the quality of goods associated with the Club, which can damage its reputation. Consequently, this adversely affects the revenue the Club generates from commercial agreements, subsequently limiting the funds available to invest in the first-team squad.
Ultimately, the Club's image and intellectual property serve as its primary sources of income and without a strong brand, Portsmouth FC would not be the successful entity it is today.
We understand that some may perceive our efforts as 'heavy-handed' when we insist on ceasing any unauthorised use of our brand. However, we hope our fans appreciate that allowing unauthorised use would erode the value of our commercial inventory that our key commercial sponsors pay for in return for an association with the Club — they could simply utilise our badge without charge.
Without the income generated from these sponsors, we would be unable to compete with other top-level football teams.
How can you assist?
The Club is fortunate to possess such dedicated and loyal fans and we believe that by working together, we can effectively combat brand infringement, which has detrimental effects on our Club.
If you become aware of any activities related to the unauthorized use of the Club's intellectual property, such as the Club's crest, or if you suspect the presence of counterfeit products, please contact the club via email at marketing@pompeyfc.co.uk
This will allow us to investigate the matter. Any information provided will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and shared solely with the appropriate authorities for legal action purposes.
What should you do if you wish to use the Club's brand?
We fully comprehend the desire of individuals to align themselves with the Club and we appreciate the enthusiasm displayed. However, given the previously mentioned reasons, it is essential that we maintain control over the use of our intellectual property.
Therefore, if you intend to utilise any of our intellectual property, please ensure you seek prior written permission. All inquiries should be directed to the Club's marketing department by emailing marketing@pompeyfc.co.uk