Copycense points us to a story from Florida involving a high school that quite clearly copied the logo of the Dodge Ram for the school mascot:
After someone alerted Chrysler, the lawyers got involved, and the school is now in the process of changing its logo and removing it from everything (including the gym floor). My first though was wondering whether or not this was “use in commerce,” which is required for trademark infringement. I think a lawyer could make an argument that a school’s usage isn’t use in commerce — but perhaps that’s undermined by the logo appearing on school clothing (though, it’s not clear that the clothes are for sale, or just what the sports teams get). However, I do wonder if the Dodge logo trademark covers use on gymnasium floors and clothing…
But, honestly, the bigger issue is why the hell would Chrysler be upset about this? At worst it’s getting a ton of free advertising from this school, with many students having a feeling of affinity for the logo, which could potentially increase their interest in buying a Dodge in the future. Car companies spend lots of money on sponsorship to get their logos seen by lots of people. And here’s a school that’s done that entirely for free… and Chrysler sends in the lawyers?
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