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Basketball season is coming soon and I’ve gotten a few questions about making and selling basketball related products using your Silhouette or Cricut.
Today, let’s take a look at what crafters need to know about NBA trademarks and licensing.
Table of Contents
What Crafters Need to Know About NBA Trademarks and Licensing
What is Trademarked to the NBA?
In a quick search of the TESS database, I found that the NBA holds over 1600 different trademarks. These trademarks range from team names to advertising slogans to logos and much, much more.
Can Crafters Make and Sell NBA Related Products?
No, crafters cannot make and sell NBA related products without obtaining a license from the NBA. Wondering how crafters are selling NBA related products? They either have a license or they are doing so illegally.
Can Crafters Get a Hobby License for NBA Products?
Unfortunately for crafters, the NBA does not offer hobbyist or small business licensing.
The NBA has many criteria required on their application. The specifics include:
- Financial statements.
- Business recommendations.
- Distribution channel information.
- Other licenses held by the company.
- Manufacturing information.
- Business plan for selling NBA products.
- Sales catalogs.
- Product samples.
View the entire NBA licensing application.
Ideas for Creating Basketball Related Products for Sale
It’s probably pretty obvious that Silhouette and Cricut craft business owners aren’t going to be able to get licensed to sell NBA products. But, this doesn’t mean that you can’t sell items geared towards your favorite team.
- Use general sayings or designs. For example: words like “basketball”, a basketball design, the silhouette of a basketball player, or a basketball hoop design would be okay to use.
- Do not use the team name or NBA names in your design, listing, or description.
- Basketball related sayings like “Basketball Lover”, “Dribble All Day”, and “Eat, Sleep, Play Basketball” are all okay to use.
- Basketball shaped monograms or swirly/embellished football designs are okay to use.
- Using patterned or other printed vinyls can add interest to “boring” designs.
- Read my list of generic t-shirt sayings for crafters.
What Happens if You Sell NBA Products without a License?
If you don’t want to get licensed and still want to sell NBA products, you should know that if you are caught by the trademark holder (the NBA), your store or shop can be shut down.
Additionally, you can be forced to pay back all monies made from the items, your supplies could be confiscated, and you can be prosecuted for trademark/copyright infringement. Unfortunately for small sellers, big corporations have far more resources to legally pursue you and you will not win the battle.
Commercial Use NBA Cut Files on Marketplaces
It’s also worth noting that NBA cut files that you might find on Etsy (or similar marketplaces) for sale with commercial use probably aren’t legal. Read why buying a commercial use cut files doesn’t guarantee you commercial use rights.
Since 2015, Christine Schinagl has been helping crafters start and run craft businesses through her blog, Cutting for Business. As a Silhouette and Cricut crafter herself, she has a unique take on what works and what doesn’t work in the craft business world. She also teaches a course on creating digital SVG designs, available at How to Design SVGs.