w00t! Rangers sue the NHL

[auxlepli 17]

Part of the reason is the of 30 "cookie-cutter" club websites at "nhl.com."

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2007...hl-lawsuit.html

Part of me understands why the NHL did that, another part hates it and wants each team to be different.

Either way I'm glad the Rangers are taking a stand. Totally awesome IMO.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

If the league really does want to control all the licensing for teams including apparel merchandise and memorabilia (as the article suggests), I can't see that sitting too well with the owners. The Rangers are just the first to raise a stink about this.

I hope it doesn't happen just because the league does such a poor job marketing itself. Why let an organization that is incompetent at promoting itself control all the affiliates, who probably would do a better job?

Edited September 29, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[96Homer 0]

Part of the reason is the of 30 "cookie-cutter" club websites at "nhl.com."

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2007...hl-lawsuit.html

Part of me understands why the NHL did that, another part hates it and wants each team to be different.

Either way I'm glad the Rangers are taking a stand. Totally awesome IMO.

I totally agree, I say let the teams do their own marketing and see where it takes them!

[StaticWithABeat 0]

I totally agree, I say let the teams do their own marketing and see where it takes them!

If the NHL had their way, they'd probably put a $5 million salary cap on each team's marketing department...can't have big-money teams advertising more than small market teams, that's unfair.

[zata40 3]

go rangers!!

[vangvace 12]

If the league really does want to control all the licensing for teams including apparel merchandise and memorabilia (as the article suggests), I can't see that sitting too well with the owners. The Rangers are just the first to raise a stink about this.

I hope it doesn't happen just because the league does such a poor job marketing itself. Why let an organization that is incompetent at promoting itself control all the affiliates, who probably would do a better job?

I can understand why the league wants to control teams licensing of merchandise. They don't get a cut of the profits unless it's also licensed by the NHL. I want to say that alot of the wings merchandise that can be bought at the concession stands, Little Ceasers, and the malls isn't NHL licensed. I want to say that the Meijer "jerseys" aren't either. That's a good chunk of change that doesn't leave town.

As for the website debacle... I think it's helped (Detroit) more teams than it hurts (NYR).

With all that said, until the NHL learns what marketing is I have to side with NYR and the other owners that will be joining them.

[savaking72 0]

Way to go Rangers. The NHL should not control everything. Freedom for the Hockey Teams of North America

[Kp-Wings 3]

Usually I spend my fair share of ragging on the Rags (pun intended ), but this is great that their doing this. It's about damn time someone takes a stand against the NHL. I'm getting sick of the Communism-esque choke hold the NHL has over the way everything is run (including the teams themselves). This isn't Russia, Gary, so stop trying to make it seem that way.

[kylee 727]

i like the way the NHL sites are uniform with each other like MLB teams.

easier navigation, granted it was never really "hard" to get around before it...

[SweWings 45]

Not surprised that this has come up...for smaller teams the NHL involvement might be beneficial..but for teams like NYR, why would they want the NHL to interfere...

[Datsyukian Geek 2]

I hope more teams follow suit. I hate the new websites and I hate the new jerseys, insofar as it all just seems like wasted effort. Why bother when that effort and money can be used somewhere more productively?

[mooose kiiisses 0]

I can understand why the league wants to control teams licensing of merchandise. They don't get a cut of the profits unless it's also licensed by the NHL. I want to say that alot of the wings merchandise that can be bought at the concession stands, Little Ceasers, and the malls isn't NHL licensed. I want to say that the Meijer "jerseys" aren't either. That's a good chunk of change that doesn't leave town.

As for the website debacle... I think it's helped (Detroit) more teams than it hurts (NYR).

With all that said, until the NHL learns what marketing is I have to side with NYR and the other owners that will be joining them.

Meijers' are, they have the silver NHL stickers on them. But i don't think K-mart's are (don't quote me on that).

I go there and buy their stuff when it's on clearance cause it's cheaper than anywhere else.

Edited September 30, 2007 by mooose kiiisses

[betterREDthandead 58]

I'm with the Rangers all the way on this one. The NHL has pretty much proven that they don't know marketing, and now they want total dictation of every team's marketing efforts? Sounds like a losing proposition.

[shannyfan1414 0]

Hell yeah Rangers.

I'm glad that somone is steping up to them. I never realized that all of the sites are the same and now that i realize it i'm pissed off.

Why can't teams have some individuality to it? I liked it much better when all of the teams had a slightly different look to their websites.

Hope the Rangers win this one or at least settle out of court.

[eva unit zero 271]

Not surprised that this has come up...for smaller teams the NHL involvement might be beneficial..but for teams like NYR, why would they want the NHL to interfere...

From the NHL's copyright policy...

All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P.

That right there seems to suggest that the NHL ultimately owns the copyright to the names and logos. Which, in turn, gives it every right to control websites and merchandising by the teams. Want another example of this sort of thing? The Cleveland Browns. If the copyright was the property of the team, there would be no Cleveland Browns right now; they'd be something else because Baltimore would still own the name.