Texas A&M and the Seahawks have reached a new agreement on the use of the 12th Man phrase that includes "increased annual fees and provisions that restrict the term's use on social media," according to Steve Kuhlmann of the Bryan-College Station EAGLE. The Seahawks now will be "required to pay an annual royalty of $18,000," an increase from the $5,000 yearly amount that was part of an agreement that expired on July 21. The club has "removed the 12th Man term from its stadium's 'Ring of Honor' and it has agreed to discontinue the use of 12th Man in any future social media posts." The new contracts also includes $10,000 per year to "be used by Texas A&M for 'trademark enforcement efforts.'" The Seahawks can use the terms "12 Seahawk," "12th Seahawk," "12" and "12s" without "infringing on the agreement." Club officials have said that the team plans to "particularly focus its branding on '12' or '12s'" (Bryan-College Station EAGLE, 8/12). In Ft. Worth, Jimmy Burch noted Texas A&M and the Seahawks first entered into a deal in '06 after the school "took legal action against the Seahawks for unauthorized use of the '12th Man' trademark" (SEATTLETIMES.com, 8/11). In Seattle, Nick Sullivan noted Texas A&M in November sued the Colts "for using '12th Man' without the school's permission." The suit was settled "with no money changing hands after the Colts agreed to stop using it" (ESPN.com, 8/11).
