Trademarksaren’t limited to full brand names . Companies have successfully gain possession of everything from the auditory sensation of aduck quackingto a specificshade of blueness . A recent decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shows brands can go so for as to take the most vernacular words in the English language . AsAPreports , The Ohio State University has successfully trademarked the wordthein its name .
concord to the case made by Ohio State , the clause in front of the name is constitutional to the university ’s stigmatisation . Products bearing the school day ’s deed of conveyance generate over $ 12.5 million each year , serve stock program and scholarships for students .
Three - letter names are the norm among state universities , and thethein Ohio State ’s claim help oneself it stand out from the crew . The schoolhouse added the determining factor in 1986 in an effort to differentiate its logotype from those of Oregon State University and Oklahoma State University . That differentiation has become part of the institution ’s identity operator , with players from theschool ’s football teamgoing out of their way to emphasize it when enter themselves . Some cheeky Ohio State apparel only saysTHEin bold lettering , dropping the rest of the title altogether .
Ohio State has been fighting to claimthesince 2019 , when Marc Jacobs filed an program to brand it . ( Thefashion companyalso design shirts with just the wordtheon them . ) The two party reached an agreement in 2021 that allowed them both to utilise the word of honor to promote their respective brands . Now , following approval from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday , June 21 , The Ohio State University has officially register a earmark for the first part of its name .
No matter what you ’re let the cat out of the bag about , you may be using trademarked Christian Bible in your everyday manner of speaking without realizing it . Check outthese common wordsthat started as stain public figure .
[ h / tAP ]
