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Even some of the most die-hard Georgia Tech devotees may grit their teeth when they see the price tags on officially licensed merchandise. They may be unaware of how the royalty funds are used.
Royalty revenue, combined with income from the Alumni Association's Georgia Tech credit card, is earmarked to support the Buzz Fund, used for student scholarships, internships and special programming, which includes $62,000 set aside each spring for Sting Break. Allocations from the Buzz Fund are distributed to the Athletic Association, Auxiliary Services and the Alumni Association.
The Georgia Tech trademark management program was established in the mid-1980s to protect and ensure the proper use of the Institute's name and official logo, Buzz and the Ramblin' Wreck, which are all registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Georgia secretary of state.
Although many universities see much of their revenue generated by apparel, half of Georgia Tech's royalties come from the non-apparel sector.
"We attribute this to Electronic Arts Sports, our number one licensee," said Georgia Tech licensing manager Aimee Anderson. EA Sports is the world's leading independent developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software.
While T-shirts rank second in terms of revenue, licensed products take some unique forms. The signature yellow wigs donned by the Swarm at football and basketball games are officially licensed products. There's Buzz-shaped pasta and Yellow Jacket hot sauce. Georgia Tech and Buzz are popular choices for grooms' cakes, but the Institute must issue an approval letter to bakeries for each cake that features these registered marks.
Currently, Georgia Tech has more than 400 licensees with revenue from royalties totaling more than $769,800 in 2006-07. That's an increase of more than 17 percent during the past year.
Expanding the licensing program and having more Georgia Tech merchandise displayed in the metro area is a top priority for 2008.
"Georgia Tech fans and alumni can help with this quest by asking for Georgia Tech merchandise when they don't see us represented where they shop," said Katherine Bows, Georgia Tech's director of marketing communications.
Georgia Tech fans also can help protect the Institute's logos and licensing revenues by reporting any situations where they suspect improper usage.
"We depend on our loyal fans to serve as our 'Buzz patrol,' letting us know when they think our logos and name are being used improperly," Bows said.
More information on Georgia Tech's licensing program can be found at http://www.gatech.edu/icpa/licensing/index.php.
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