Universities are beginning to aggressively protect their trademarked logos:
“If a school’s logo can be confused with a university’s, or if it is capable of diluting its value, the universities often demand changes.”
- The rise in high-school media coverage of sporting events, etc. has forced many major universities to take notice.“Everybody’s aware now, and there’s nowhere to hide,” said Rob Cleveland, Ohio State’s assistant director for trademarks and licensing.
- The rise in high-school media coverage of sporting events, etc. has forced many major universities to take notice.“Everybody’s aware now, and there’s nowhere to hide,” said Rob Cleveland, Ohio State’s assistant director for trademarks and licensing.
What once was more a centralized (state) concern for universities has now turned into a national issue with colleges demanding high schools as far as 1,400 miles away to change their logo.
This has created significant cost issues for many high schools:
· Change logos on uniforms, repaint logo-covered walls and gym floors, modify Web sites, etc.
· One local Florida school who was considered a violator of the University of Florida’s gator logo quoted a $60,000 eventual cost to account for the changes that would be required.
This has created significant cost issues for many high schools:
· Change logos on uniforms, repaint logo-covered walls and gym floors, modify Web sites, etc.
· One local Florida school who was considered a violator of the University of Florida’s gator logo quoted a $60,000 eventual cost to account for the changes that would be required.
When confronted with a cease and desist, most high schools choose not to fight the issue – most high schools don’t have the money to risk holding a legal hearing
- "The problem when you’re a defendant is you can spend the money to fight it, and if you lose, you also have to spend the money to change everything," said Dineen Wasylik, a trademark lawyer based in Tampa, Fla.
- Most colleges are not concerned with a money issue, but more so standing up for their trademark now to make an example for those in the future.
- “If you sit on your right as a plaintiff and don’t go after someone as soon as you find out they’re infringing on your rights, you may lose the ability to go after them."
- Some high schools are even beginning to register their newly created logos with the US Patent and Trademark Office (was never thought of in the past) so they will not have to face issues like this in the future.
- "The problem when you’re a defendant is you can spend the money to fight it, and if you lose, you also have to spend the money to change everything," said Dineen Wasylik, a trademark lawyer based in Tampa, Fla.
- Most colleges are not concerned with a money issue, but more so standing up for their trademark now to make an example for those in the future.
- “If you sit on your right as a plaintiff and don’t go after someone as soon as you find out they’re infringing on your rights, you may lose the ability to go after them."
- Some high schools are even beginning to register their newly created logos with the US Patent and Trademark Office (was never thought of in the past) so they will not have to face issues like this in the future.