The Charlotte Bobcats will give seat rights -- essentially a free version of a permanent seat license -- to anyone who retains a season ticket throughout the new NBA team's first five seasons.

These rights will be similar to the charter seat rights the Charlotte Hornets granted fans during their initial ticket drive in the mid-1980s.

Bobcats executive vice president Ed Tapscott said the free seat license idea evolved from discussions with former Hornets season-ticket holders.

"We heard from our fans, `We'd like to see that return,' " Tapscott said. "We always said we'd try to be responsive to fans if we could."

Fans with these rights will have the option to give or sell control of their seats. The Bobcats will charge a transfer fee -- $500 for transactions involving club seats, and $250 for the rest of the arena.