MLB says Upper Deck cards is stealing trademarks

[February 02, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Major League Baseball's licensing wing is calling out a baseball card maker for allegedly stealing trademarks.

Major League Baseball Properties Inc. filed a trademark lawsuit seeking unspecified damages against The Upper Deck Co. Inc. on Monday in federal court in Manhattan.

The lawsuit said Upper Deck is continuing to sell baseball cards featuring professional baseball players even though the company is no longer licensed to show MLB trademarks. Major League Baseball Properties began this year to license only The Topps Co. Inc. in a bid to increase its revenues from the cards.

MLB Properties is indirectly owned by the 30 major league clubs and acts as their licensing agent.

A message left for Upper Deck in Carlsbad, Calif. was not immediately returned Monday.

[Associated Press]

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