Boston City Councilor proposes licensing of Boston-branded merchandise

Boston District 8 Councilor Sharon Durkan - whose district includes Fenway Park - has proposed a citywide licensing program for merchandise branded with the logos of Boston municipal departments like police and fire.

According to a 2010 report, the New York Citywide Merchandise Licensing Program which uses logos of NYPD, FDNY and other municipal departments raises more than $24M annually through sales of clothing and other items.

Merchants selling Boston-branded items would pay license fees and royalties to the city, while sales would help support merchants and suppliers. And purchased merchandise would help to promote Boston as a tourist destination.

As anyone who has visited the Quincy Market area on a weekend in good weather knows, the Boston Fire Department does a brisk business there in Boston Fire branded hats, sweatshirts and other items. So extensive market reserach has already been done, and the market is there. With a little creativity, city departments like the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (etc.) could develop their own lines of merchandise. Possibilities are endless.