In-N-Out forces Northern California high school football team to delete photos shot at restaurant

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Set us as preferred A behind-the-scenes video of a Northern California high school football team staging a fun-filled photo shoot at their local In-N-Out quickly racked up nearly a million views on Instagram.Brentwood-based photographer Glenn Silva was thrilled to see that the photos he was hired to take at the Lincoln High School football players’ favorite hangout in their Sacramento suburb were resonating with a wide audience online.In-N-Out’s trademark team was less enthused.Last week, representatives for the fast-food chain emailed Silva and the team demanding that all content from the shoot be taken down.The photos showed the Lincoln football players posing behind the counter and drive-thru window dressed in their football uniforms and helmets.

“In-N-Out Burger takes the protection of its brand, trademarks, and trade dress very seriously,” the Sept.23 email, reviewed by The Times, reads.

“The unauthorized use of our restaurant premises, signage, logos, or any other proprietary elements in your content may constitute a violation of our intellectual property rights.”UCLA law professor Mark McKenna and UC Berkeley law expert Vincent Joralemon independently said they were doubtful the fast-food chain would win a trademark case against the high school team if they were to take it to court.However, they both noted that In-N-Out’s response was not surprising given the company’s record of fiercely protecting its trademark.

California Southern California residents can soon get their Double-Double fix at more locations.In-N-Out did not respond to The Times’ request for comment Wednesday.

The Lincoln High School athletic director referred questions to the Western Placer Unified School District, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Team mom and booster club member Chelsey Vanderschrier sai...