Harvard Copyrights Name and Insignia

Companies that use the University's name to cash in will have to pay Harvard back a little of their earnings, thanks to a licensing program started earlier this year.

The program, which Vice President for Finance Robert H. Scott said yesterday could eventually earn $300,000 to $500,000 a year, will be used to bolster financial aid funds.

"Harvard decided that it needed an element of control over the name to ensure the quality and taste of goods with the Harvard trademark," said Joyce M. Brinton, director of Harvard's Office for Patents, Copyrights and Licensing, which will secure licenses from businesses seeking to make products with Harvard's name and insignia.

"Most every other university has a licensing program," said Brinton. She said the trademark does not cover the word "Harvard" per se, but only its use in reference to the University. The town of Harvard, Mass., Harvard Square, the Harvard Shop and the Harvard House of Pizza will not need to pay royalties to the University, but the makers of such items as t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, bookends, boxer shorts, ties and turtlenecks will.

Both Scott and Brinton called the policy a means to assure that Harvard's name is not abused. Scott said examples of misuse would include "the name of Harvard on an unseemly device or the use of the name Harvard to publicize an activity not connected to or endorsed by the University."

"It will have to be a subjective judgement," said Brinton, "but we could make use of a group ad hoc advisors in the University to ensure that the office's desires are not just a whim."

Organizations affiliated with the University will not be required to register with Brinton's office, she said.

Scott said Harvard decided to institute the trademark policy after testing it by licensing "Harvard" memorabilia for the 350th anniversary celebration and in Japan.

The Japanese licensing project generated "a little over $100,000 last year," while the 350th raised "just over $50,000, Brinton said.

The program will cost $100,000 to $200,000 to start up, but Harvard expects to recoup costs in three years and make a profit thereafter, officials said.

Many other universities already license their name and insignia. Stanford, for example, regulates its name, the block "S" symbol with and without a tree, the Stanford seal and the name "Cardinal" when it refers to the school, said Maria L. Gladfelter, an administrator at the institution's licensing office. She said the program raised $257,000 last year.

Both Gladfelter and Jean A. Mahoney, director of Princeton's licensing, said they had had no problems in enforcing the policy and did not anticipate that Harvard would, either.

And local businesses said that while it might raise the price of items bearingHarvard's name or seal, the policy would probablynot affect sales.

Dimitri S. Tragos, manager of J. August, saidthat a Harvard Champion Sweatshirt costs $40,while one of the University of California at LosAngeles-- which licenses its insignia--sells for$45.

Tragos added that he doubted whether theUniversity could enforce the licensing, saying,"There might be some problem as there are allsorts of people printing Harvard t-shirts in theirbasements.