Executives at Anfield have applied to register the Liver bird, the symbol of Liverpool, as a trademark. The club say it's a necessary move to protect counterfeiters making money from fake shirts. Is this a legitimate claim?

This isn't the first time Liverpool has made such a move: it already has trademarks on "This is Anfield" and the words "You'll Never Walk Alone" on its official emblem, but is it fair to argue that the Liver Bird is a symbol for the whole of the city - and that includes Evertonians too - rather than just Reds fans?

Meanwhile down in Cornwall, the Cornish All Blacks have taken steps to trademark the team's name, a move which has attracted the ire of the New Zealand RFU. Is this something that will come more prevalent as teams attempt to protect themselves from the threat of counterfeiters?