A basic authorization does not need to be a formal contract for most small relationships. An email from the logo's owner confirming what it covers is usually enough. Whatever the format, it should answer four things: who owns the logo, which products it can appear on, whether the apparel is for internal use only or for resale, and whether the authorization has an end date tied to the client or sponsorship relationship.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.A common misconception is that a logo only carries legal weight once it is registered with the trademark office. In most cases, a business builds common law trademark rights simply by using its logo in commerce, registration or not. That means the absence of a registered trademark next to a logo is not a green light to print it without permission. When in doubt, treat any logo you did not create as someone else's protected mark until told otherwise in writing.
Most sponsorship agreements already include a clause covering how the sponsor's logo can be used, but that clause often lists specific channels like a website, a banner, or a program guide. Apparel is not always included by default. Before adding a sponsor's logo to shirts, confirm the actual sponsorship agreement grants apparel rights specifically, not just signage or digital placement, and confirm whether the shirts are for internal team use or being sold to the public.
On the Done-For-You VIP plan, a vendor sends one logo file a month and the Pro Shop advisor team applies it across a curated set of products. The authorization to use that specific logo, whether it is the vendor's own mark, a client's, or a sponsor's, is the vendor's responsibility to secure first, the same way it would be with any print vendor. Set up your shop at shops.beargrips.com once you have the right to the logo you are uploading. See the file and placement basics in the how to put your logo on a shirt guide.
Once authorization is in writing, upload the file and build the shop. No minimum, ships in about a week.
Start FreeNot always. A simple written confirmation, even an email, covering what the logo can be used on and whether it is for resale is usually enough for smaller relationships. Larger or ongoing arrangements are worth a short formal agreement.
No. Website usage terms are a different scope than apparel rights. Confirm the actual sponsorship or licensing agreement covers apparel specifically before printing.
Generally yes, under common law trademark rights that build up through use. Registration adds stronger, nationwide legal footing, but the absence of registration does not mean the logo is free to use.
When you are unsure, ask an attorney or stick to a logo you created or have clear written permission to use.
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