University of Wisconsin protecting its W

[EatSleepJeep]

Now I see. Since Wisconsin is playing like a High School team in the NCAA tournament right now, they didn't want to be confused with other High Schools...

[Gothamite]

If Michigan paid a designer for either of those, then you might have a point.

That'd be like someone mistaking a Georgia Bulldogs helmet for a Packers one.

The Bulldogs got permission from the Packers for their logo.

I still think that your personal bias might be influencing your opinion juuuuuuust a little bit.

[Bucks6thMan]

If Michigan paid a designer for either of those, then you might have a point.

That'd be like someone mistaking a Georgia Bulldogs helmet for a Packers one.

The Bulldogs got permission from the Packers for their logo.

I still think that your personal bias might be influencing your opinion juuuuuuust a little bit.

My being an alumnus of Washington HS doesn't make me any more biased to the high schools than your being an alumnus of UW makes you towards the university

Besides, as I said, UW used taxpayer money to fund that logo, therefore it belongs to the people... so there!

The Shepherd Express shut down?

That's Milwaukee. I'm talking the Green Bay News-Chronicle, 1972-2005, rest in pieces.

(and yes, I'm prejudiced, I was news and sports editor there at various times).

Yea... the Shepherd Express is alive and well. Even after the J-S put out their own weekly-alt (which is a decent paper in its own right).

But I was sad to hear that the News-Chronicle shut down too. IMO, that was the only example of objective journalism in Green Bay.

[Gothamite]

I still think that your personal bias might be influencing your opinion juuuuuuust a little bit.

My being an alumnus of Washington HS doesn't make me any more biased to the high schools than your being an alumnus of UW makes you towards the university

Besides, as I said, UW used taxpayer money to fund that logo, therefore it belongs to the people... so there!

I may be an alum, but I'm no homer - I hate the Motion W, and have said so on many occasions. Frankly, they should give the W to the high schools and get a better mark for themselves.

Your taxpayer argument reminds me of the old George Carlin routine, when he gets pulled over by the cops: "You're a public servant - get me a glass of water!"

[BBTV]

In my work (IT), I am responsible for maintaining our list of coding standards and best-practices. They are good to have so that things get built in a consistent and proven way. I hold an open forum every other week where "challenges" can be made to any standard that I impose, and if someone can present a valid argument for doing something a different way, we may amend the standard (happens regularly.)

There are times where someone will argue (very poorly) against something that is so elementary that from that point on, I can no longer lend any credibility to anything that they say - it just doesn't matter anymore. Nothing that they can possibly say can possibly help their point, so my ears turn off and I just wait for their mouth to stop moving so I can say "next."

What's the point of all that? Well to me, this is one of those topics. I don't see any possible rational argument against what Wisconsin is doing. None.

[Bucks6thMan]

I may be an alum, but I'm no homer - I hate the Motion W, and have said so on many occasions. Frankly, they should give the W to the high schools and get a better mark for themselves.

Your taxpayer argument reminds me of the old George Carlin routine, when he gets pulled over by the cops: "You're a public servant - get me a glass of water!"

I'm not a huge fan of it either. In fact, as a Marquette hoops fan (and a general Big East fan for football), I'm was never exactly thrilled that Washington uses the Motion W. But my school is what it is: an inner city school in one of the most underfunded districts in the U.S. It's the epitome of arrogance when the UW is coming/will come down on a school that can't even afford to buy new textbooks (at least they couldn't when I was there). Especially when it's a high school funded by THE SAME taxpayers who fund the university.

Sorry, but I don't see what's so wrong with my taxpayer agrument nor do I see what your point in quoting Carlin was.

[bulldogbarks55]

I think the university is being a bit petty about this. How many schools use the Notre Dame leprechaun or the big star made famous by the Cowboys, the Colts' horseshoe. I feel teams like this have a better gripe than does Wisconsin. And while we're at it how many schools use the music to "On, Wisconsin!" for their fight song. C'mon Wisconsin, let's take these igregious infringements all the way if you're going to do it at all! I can see it now. Players stripped of uniforms at mid-field. Band instruments seized and impounded. It's out of control.

[Gothamite]

I may be an alum, but I'm no homer - I hate the Motion W, and have said so on many occasions. Frankly, they should give the W to the high schools and get a better mark for themselves.

Your taxpayer argument reminds me of the old George Carlin routine, when he gets pulled over by the cops: "You're a public servant - get me a glass of water!"

I'm not a huge fan of it either. In fact, as a Marquette hoops fan (and a general Big East fan for football), I'm was never exactly thrilled that Washington uses the Motion W. But my school is what it is: an inner city school in one of the most underfunded districts in the U.S. It's the epitome of arrogance when the UW is coming/will come down on a school that can't even afford to buy new textbooks (at least they couldn't when I was there). Especially when it's a high school funded by THE SAME taxpayers who fund the university.

Sorry, but I don't see what's so wrong with my taxpayer agrument nor do I see what your point in quoting Carlin was.

The school is a separate legal entity. That it receives its funding from the state does not give the taxpayers any specific claim over its trademarks any more than your taxes paying his salary means the policeman has to do your bidding.

I don't disagree that the schools are underfunded. That is not material, though.

You have avoided what I think is the central question: why shouldn't they defend their investment (and that of the taxpayers, if you insist)?

If they do not vigorously defend the trademark, they lose it. How would that possibly benefit the taxpayers of Wisconsin?

[Snazel]

There are times where someone will argue (very poorly) against something that is so elementary that from that point on, I can no longer lend any credibility to anything that they say - it just doesn't matter anymore.

I make one bad recommendation and I lose all credibility?

Thank merciful Jesus, you are not my boss, or on our development team, or anywhere near where I work professionally.

You exaggerate right? You seem more open minded than that, were you just laying it on thick, in the spirit of this thread perhaps?

I find developers, (especially new ones), often make bad suggestions at first, but as they learn the architecture and methodology eventually offer fantastic insight and suggestions. I could see a "three strikes" policy - maybe - but a one-strike policy seems a little harsh, and I wager you exaggerate the situation for the purpose of making a strong point on this thread.

[EatSleepJeep]

I think the university is being a bit petty about this. How many schools use the Notre Dame leprechaun or the big star made famous by the Cowboys, the Colts' horseshoe. I feel teams like this have a better gripe than does Wisconsin. And while we're at it how many schools use the music to "On, Wisconsin!" for their fight song. C'mon Wisconsin, let's take these igregious infringements all the way if you're going to do it at all! I can see it now. Players stripped of uniforms at mid-field. Band instruments seized and impounded. It's out of control.

1) It's not the University, it's Collegiate Licensing Inc.

2) Notre Dame does defend it's mark and made a high school in ohio reverse all their logos.

3) the rest of it isn't worth a response.

[Cola]

Wren High School and Wilson High School in SC both use it.

I think it's kind of ridiculous if we are talking high schools...it happens so often it's impossible to govern- about like stopping mp3 sharing. Impossible.

As far as the Green Bay/Georgia thing goes...I had always thought that they have a special agreement because Georgia borrowed the original Green Bay logo...then modified it slightly...Green Bay liked it after it was modified, so they came to a happy medium and allowed both to use it.

I had thought Grambling was supposed to get rid of it but apparently they haven't.

[Gothamite]

As far as the Green Bay/Georgia thing goes...I had always thought that they have a special agreement because Georgia borrowed the original Green Bay logo...then modified it slightly...Green Bay liked it after it was modified, so they came to a happy medium and allowed both to use it.

I had thought Grambling was supposed to get rid of it but apparently they haven't.

That's a claim I've seen posted many times, but I've never actually seen anything to substantiate it.

The only thing I know for sure on the subject is that Green Bay owns the logo but granted the University of Georgia State to use a similar mark in 1964. They also granted some rights to Grambling, but Grambling seemed never to take any precautions to secure those rights, which is why they announced they were changing logos.

ESPN.com: "Oval G is a Green Bay Packers trademark"

[buckeyes1]

There are a few schools in Ohio that use the Wisconsin "W". Will they have to get rid of it?

Wooster High School:

Lutheran West High School:

*There's says Longhorns on it, I wonder if they will need to get rid of this one as well.

Woodridge High School:

Westlake High School:

*The middle part of the "W" seems to be more sharp then Wisconsin's.

Waynedale High School:

*This one is the same as Westlake's.

These are just a few in the Northeast Ohio area.

[Sec19Row53]

Assuming Wisconsin knows about them (or maybe that Collegiate Licensing knows about them), I'd say yes.

[Fred T. Jane]

Based on some responses (ZOMG, THESE SKOOLZ= LAZEE!!!), it seems that most folks have never taken part in the rebranding process for a high school, much less on the faculty side. As you'll see, it's not a case of laziness on the part of the administration...

(Coach) OK, time to order new uniforms.

(Principal) Well, if you're ordering new uniforms, I think it's time to put a new logo on them. I mean, we already have 13 different logos and wordmarks, so it's high time to add a few more to the craziness.

(Coach) Great idea! I know just who can help. Hey Fred!

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) Huh?

(Coach) Want to help us design a new logo for the new uniforms?

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) We have 13 already...

(Coach) Bah, we need something new! Something edgy! Something...

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) Blue?

(Coach) Yes!

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) *sigh*

(Coach) You think you could design something just like this?

http://www.sportslogos.net/images/College/...a-c/BC_7379.gif

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) Well...

(Coach) It'll be a cinch! I mean, just change the colours...

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) *sigh* Why don't you do something different?

(Coach) Well, we could, but the uniform suppliers charge a surcharge and a setup fee if we don't use a logo from their book. And this is the best one we could find.

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) I see, but why do you want me to change the colours?

(Coach) Because they charge us for that too, even more than turning in our own logo

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) I see

*2 weeks pass*

(Principal) Wow! The logo is brilliant! Did you do this Fred?

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) Well...

(Coach) Yeah! It was the best logo we could find in the book, and it saved us $90 in setup charges if he...er we (!!!) did it ourselves

(Principal) I'm glad you did that. I know it's a shame we have to pay attention to such small amounts of cash, but at least we have a professional logo.

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) Er...

(Principal) Oh, I didn't forget about your hard work. As a reward, here's a voucher for a week of free lunches in the cafeteria! Thanks a bunch!

(History Teacher posing as an Innocent Bystander) Er, yay?

FIN.