A lot of people are looking to make money off the Raiders move to Las Vegas.
One way they're doing it is by tapping into the market of fans clamoring for "Las Vegas Raiders" merchandise. But vendors who do so can put themselves in serious legal peril.
At Sideline Sports, an apparel store in the northwest valley, Raiders gear is the first thing many customers ask for.
"Everything with 'Vegas' on it, people are looking for it," said Ryan Rozek, a Sideline employee. "They want it for sure."
Like most stores, Sideline doesn't carry anything that says "Las Vegas Raiders" because the NFL hasn't licensed any gear yet that includes the phrase.
"[If] you sell merchandise with 'Raiders' on it, you better have the permission of the NFL," said Marc Randazza, an intellectual property attorney.
13 Action News found an MGM property on the Strip selling hats that said "Las Vegas Raiders."
Randazza confirmed that if the hats aren't licensed, it's an obvious case of infringement.
"Just because there may not yet be a Las Vegas Raiders, doesn't mean that's just open territory for someone to start using that to sell merchandise," Randazza said.
MGM has since asked the store to remove the hats.
A Raiders team representative told 13 Action News both the team and the league will "aggressively enforce trademarks" to protect against knockoffs or counterfeits.
A way to know that merchandise is officially licensed is to check for a hologrammed NFL sticker on the product.
Stores like Sideline and Uniform Sports don't expect the league to license new products until the team actually moves to Las Vegas.
In the meantime, they'll stock their shelves with Raiders gear that doesn't say "Oakland. "
