How much would you pay to put the Boston city seal on a hoodie?

City Councilor Sharon Durkan (Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway, Mission Hill) says it's time for Boston to set up a licensing office to all the companies just dying to show off their Boston cred on clothing, mugs and anything else you can slap a bold underlined sans-serif B or some good old-fashioned "Sicut Patribus Sit Deus Nobis" - or even just a design featuring the city-owned Faneuil Hall.

Currently, if you can imagine, anybody can slap a Boston symbol or design on a shirt and sell it without any recompense to the city, unlike in such world-class cities as New York, which have formal licensing agreements - and set payments - to stick their symbols and hearts and things on other things.

In 2009 alone, New York City made $24 million in licensing fees, Durkan writes in her request to the council to start the wheels turning on licensing deals.

Licensed merchandise featuring iconic Boston symbols, landmarks, and neighborhoods would foster a sense of pride among residents and visitors and offer a way for people to express their connection to the city.

Licensing agreements for City-branded merchandise would allow the City of Boston to earn revenue through royalties and/or fees, and when a licensed business creates and sells City of Boston-themed merchandise (such as T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, or souvenirs), the proceeds could benefit public goods and services via support to City of Boston departments.

As a popular tourist destination, City of Boston licensed merchandise would provide tourists with a tangible memento of their visit and a last reminder to visit again. Licensing encourages local businesses to participate in the production and sale of branded merchandise, which stimulates economic activity, creates jobs, and supports small businesses within the city.

She adds:

When people wear or use Boston-branded merchandise, it acts as free advertising, advancing interest in the city, its culture, attractions and thereby contributing to Boston’s brand visibility on a global scale.

Merchandise licensing presents the opportunity to collaborate with local artists, designers, and creators whose involvement would only serve to further community connections and celebrate the City’s creative talent.

Well managed licensing would be needed to carefully maintain the integrity of the brand and ensure that the merchandise aligns with Boston’s image and values, and cities around the country have proven that careful construction of a brand allows for continued production to remain authentic.

Details of the new-school Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk B that reps the Hub, as well as the palette of colors used on the city Web site: Freedom Trail Red, Charles Blue, Optimistic Blue and Snow White.