06:28 PM CST on Friday, January 6, 2006

KVUE News

Special agents are on the look-out for knock-off items, as counterfeiters try to cash in on the demand for Longhorn national championship souvenirs.

CLC

This is an example of a tag on officially licensed merchandise from the University of Texas.

The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) is working with police in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio to get stop counterfeiters. They plan to patrol the cities and search for people selling the knock-offs.

The counterfeit merchandise could be seized.

Legitimate items, like the ones sold at the University Co-op, all carry a registered trademark. Those items are licensed by the University of Texas with a portion of the proceeds going to UT.

CLC officials say shoppers should look for certain things to make sure the merchandise is licensed:

-- All officially licensed merchandise should display the Officially Licensed Collegiate Product (OLCP) Hologram somewhere on the product or hangtag.

-- The tag on the garment should be intact. A torn or missing tag is evidence of a second-hand garment.

-- All merchandise should bear the name of the manufacturer somewhere on the product, either in the form of a hangtag, a neck label, or screen-printed directly on the garment.

-- All merchandise should have the appropriate trademark designations (i.e. TM, ) next to a specific name or design.

CLC officials say buying counterfeit merchandise takes money away from the University.