The Ohio State University has acquired a trademark that strongly emphasizes the name “The”, one of the most common words in English, by school advocates.
Athletes at other schools may simply say they went to Michigan or Pennsylvania, but Buckeye rarely said “Ohio State University,” emphasizing “that,” and then adding a dramatic pause. increase. School players, graduates, and supporters often speak their name in a consistent rhythm, as football fans who have seen the NFL’s starting lineup have heard of self-introductions on Sunday or Monday nights.
Tradition is valued by Ohio State University advocates and sets the school apart from other schools. (It’s terribly gorgeous for Ohio State University rivals. Each one.)
Trademarks issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday will not unleash a brute force lawyer looking for someone using the word “the.” Its protection is limited to limited situations where people are unlikely to cross. They sell imitations of Ohio State University. However, it gives the university some protection against unlicensed sellers, and adds to the school’s efforts to tie itself to a very common language.
“THE has been rallying in the Ohio State community for many years,” said Ben Johnson, a spokesman for Ohio State University, in a statement.
Many universities have strict trademark protection, and Ohio is no exception. According to Johnson, the trademark and licensing program makes colleges an average of more than $ 12.5 million annually.
As one notable example of 2012, the University of Alabama apologized to a local bakery after receiving a cease and desist letter ordering to stop using college script A for cakes and cookies. ..
The Ohio State University first applied for the “The” trademark in 2019, but clashed with apparel designer Marc Jacobs, who was applying for the trademark for the word used in clothing. They reached an agreement in 2021 to allow both parties to register the trademark for the word. The Ohio State University trademark is, according to the trademark, limited to clothing (T-shirts and hats) sold through “customary channels in the field of sports and college athletics.”
That particular focus is why Ohio State University’s trademark registration of common words does not prevent other companies from including the word “the” in their names and products, trademark lawyer Josh Gerben said. I am saying. He said the trademark would only be used if someone tried to use the word to represent Ohio.
“Ohio does not intend to provide that widespread protection for words,” he said. “This is a very narrow registration and has a very narrow enforcement function associated with it.”