Ohio State University wins trademark for the word 'THE'

[edjr 6,607]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/us/ohio-state-university-trademarks-the/index.html

Quote

 

Ohio State University has officially registered a trademark for the word "THE" after a nearly three-year battle to clinch legal branding access to a word that's deeply meaningful to the school's overall identity.

The university in Columbus will use the word "THE" for branded products associated with the school and sold through its athletics and collegiate channels, OSU spokesperson Ben Johnson said Wednesday in a statement to CNN.

"THE has been a rallying cry in th

e Ohio State community for many years, and Buckeye fans who purchase official Ohio State gear support student scholarships, libraries and other university initiatives," Johnson said.
The university filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office in 2019 after fashion designer Marc Jacobs also filed to trademark the same word, Johnson said.
Last year, the university and the designer reached an agreement that allows both of them to register "THE" branded products for continuous use and license, Johnson explained.

"Like other institutions, Ohio State works to protect the university's brand and trademarks because these assets benefit students and faculty, and support our core academic mission of teaching and research," Johnson said.

The university's trademark and licensing prog

ram generates an average of more than $12.5 million annually in revenue, which provides funding for university programs and student scholarships, according to the statement from Johnson.
The university started using "the" with its name in 1986 when the institution introduced a new logo in the hopes of moving away from the "OSU" symbol, according to the school. The move was intended in part to distinguish it from two other schools with the same initials -- Oregon State University and Oklahoma State University.

The trend of emphasizing the word "the" took off in the mid-1990s, when the school wanted football players to use it while introducing themselves. It grew into a meme when NFL broadcasts featured clips of players saying their names and their alma maters. OSU alums emphasized they were from "THE Ohio State University." That OSU player intro was even parodied by "Saturday Night Live."

 

 

This is how dumb America is and shows how fall we have fallen as a nation.

The most common word in the English language has been trademark because of a bunch of bickering idiots. 

[Mike Honcho 5,288]

13 minutes ago, edjr said:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/us/ohio-state-university-trademarks-the/index.html

 

This is how dumb America is and shows how fall we have fallen as a nation.

The most common word in the English language has been trademark because of a bunch of bickering idiots. 

You owe OSU 20 bucks for your post.

[Mike Honcho 5,288]

Wonder how much THE Ohio State University paid to lawyers to get that trademark.  

[DonS 3,292]

28 minutes ago, edjr said:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/us/ohio-state-university-trademarks-the/index.html

 

This is how dumb America is and shows how fall we have fallen as a nation.

The most common word in the English language has been trademark because of a bunch of bickering idiots. 

Reminds me of how some businesses on the Olympic Peninsula in WA, where the Olympic Mountains (ie The Olympics) are located were getting threatened with legal action by the US Olympic Committee (or whatever) because they had the word "Olympics" in their business name.

[JustinCharge 2,397]

 

[kutulu 1,680]

The Geek Bored is screwed

[Cdub100 3,928]

So whatl? Instead of using it just say "T word" everyone will know what you're saying. Oh and only OSU alumni can say "t word" fully otherwise it's racist.

[Mungwater 597]

The Citadel?  

[bostonlager 2,665]

OH -

[Utilit99 4,099]

I heard a doctor in Minnesota trademarked "Say AHHH" and "Turn your head and cough".