Do "WV" Gloves Violate West Virginia Univ.'s Trademark?

West Virginia Fan Patents "WV" Glove Design

Suzy Warman, co-Owner of two Slight Indulgence stores in Morgantown, West Virginia, "just got a patent pending on a pair of blue gloves that, when used properly, highlights the 'W' and 'V' being flashed by the wearer," according to the AP. West Virginia Univ. (WVU) College of Law associate professor Michael Risch said that "whether or not Warman's 'WV' would infringe on anything already owned by WVU through its Trademark Licensing Services office would be subjective." The letters on Warman's gloves "are not configured in the same way as WVU's patented Flying WV logo," but "add in the colors blue and gold and a context meant to be used at a WVU football game, and potentially, the matter could get murkier." Risch: "That's more of a trademark question than it is a patent question." Warman is "preparing to sell the gloves, and she expects to have her first shipment on Sept. 25." The gloves cost $15 and can be ordered on the store's website, www.slightindulgence.com. In a week, Warman "has taken orders for more than 100 pairs." Warman originally "had trouble coming up with a design in which the material used to differentiate the gold 'W' and 'V' fingers from the blue gloves cracked." As a result, Warman contacted Milwaukee-based Reliable Knitting Works, which "came up with a usable prototype" for the gloves. Warman settled on "a screening process that stretches with 100[%] acrylic gloves" (AP, 8/4).