Ohio State has suffered its first loss of THE™ 2019 college football season.
Much to the delight of its rival up north, the pretentious meter was pegged in the middle of August when Ohio State confirmed that it had filed the paperwork seeking a trademark on the word “The” as it pertains to items being marketed with the university’s name. Buckeye Nation, of course, takes great pride in letting everyone know that they are THE Ohio State University at nearly every turn, and the university is simply looking to protect that brand of self-identification.
For now, though, that initial application made to the United States Patent & Trademark Office has been denied
JUST IN: The US Patent & Trademark Office has issued an initial decision on Ohio State's attempt to trademark the word "THE." They have refused the application.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 11, 2019
Ohio State University's trademark application for the word "THE" has been refused by the USPTO.
— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) September 11, 2019
The USPTO found that:
1. @OhioState is not using the word "THE" as a trademark.
2. Marc Jacobs filed an application for "THE" before Ohio State made its filing. #The analysis 👇 pic.twitter.com/KfQmlVtvQA
The university has up to six months to refile the paperwork in a response, which they are expected to do.
“Like other institutions, Ohio State works to vigorously protect the university’s brand and trademarks,” an OSU spokesperson said in a statement last month.
“These assets hold significant value, which benefits our students and faculty and the broader community by supporting our core academic mission of teaching and research.”