Licensed sport merchandise market threatened by counterfeiting; US Operation Team Player tackles problem

Following Ohio State’s win over the Oregon Ducks in the first college football playoff national Championship match, official Ohio State merchandise sales sky-rocketed, rising above the two-day sales levels of the two previous victors – Florida State and Alabama – in just 12 hours. Whilst major sporting events in the US give enormous boosts to the licensed sports merchandise market, they also see a rise in counterfeit sporting goods, which threaten the revenue of legitimate vendors.