Creativi-Tee Plus, a business "run out of a lawyer's
den" in Princeton, NJ, says that it was the "first to sell
shirts promoting a Subway Series," and its '98 "request for
a trademark is still pending" before the U.S. Patent &
Trademark Office, according to Newman & Coates of BLOOMBERG
NEWS. Peter Brav, the attorney who runs the company, said
that MLBP "hasn't responded to his letter two weeks ago
demanding" it stop selling Subway Series shirts or pay his
company a fee. MLB's trademark application "to use Subway
Series in the promotion of an event" on radio and TV is
still pending, and MLBP attorney Ethan Orlinsky said that
the league "owns the license to use Subway Series on any
product that's sold for profit." Orlinsky: "The ability to
capitalize on this market is associated with the Yankees and
the Mets and not any individual." Orlinsky said that he is
"willing to sit down with Brav to reach a settlement," but
added, "Baseball is not paying anyone a license to use the
term Subway Series" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 10/21).
IMPACT ON APPLE: In N.Y., William Sherman cited the
city of N.Y.'s controller's office as saying that should the
Series go seven games, it will generate $137M for N.Y.'s
economy and produce $8-10M in tax revenues. Fox Sports
VP/Media Relations Lou D'Ermilio said that the net will
"knock down" $20.8M in ad revenue per game, "charging
$325,000 for each" of 64 30-second ads (DAILY NEWS, 10/21).
SERIES MARKETING NOTES: MBNA has extended its exclusive
agreement as the official credit card issuer of MLB. MBNA
has held the distinction since '97 (MBNA)....In N.Y., T.J.
Quinn reported that Mets and Yankees players have been
"showered with gifts all week from their apparel companies."
Nike sent "boxes the size of mini-refrigerators filled with
shirts, sweat tops and pants and shoes" for players and
their wives, and Wilson gave players World Series travel
bags with their names on them (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/21).
