Who owns "Ohio" wordmarks?

[Bobcat79]

This article from The Post, an Ohio University news outlet, has been coming up in my Facebook newsfeed all day (don't know why... it's from 1997). Apologies if this isn't technically in the correct board (feel free to move it). I find it interesting, though.

One of the most interesting things I didn't know is that Oklahoma owns the rights to the interlocking OU, even though Oklahoma's U is sans serif and Ohio U's is slab serif. We can't use it on uniforms, though. I guess this hasn't changed since 1997, when this article was written?

Thoughts? Civil debate, please, even though technically this topic is old. From my experiences, this debate still goes on today even though both schools since have settled on logos and wordmarks that are distinctive for each of their own institutions. Why can't we both just use the word Ohio (seeing as both schools are, indeed, located in the Buckeye State) in our respective colors?

[ThePreacher]

Can you please post the two logos at the center of this dispute for us to analyze?

[Sport]

First of all, go Bobcats. 2010 graduate here, and I will be wearing green at the game on Saturday. Second of all, It was never an issue of a logo, ThePreacher, the issue was about whether OU was allowed to exclusively use "Ohio" on their athletic uniforms and apparel. The logo in my signature that uses "Ohio" was what started OSU's gripe. This would be akin to Florida State making an issue out of the Florida Gators' use of the word, "Florida" My opinion is that it's completely ridiculous and telling of the arrogance of OSU to go after a school for using a word that is the name of the freaking university. We're OHIO university, if anyone should be angry, it's us (or us as we were in 1997) for the way OSU has used "Ohio" while dropping "State". It's easy, you're name is Ohio State, put "OHIO STATE" on the teams and players, and the :censored: you sell in the bookstores and leave OHIO for us. It's not that hard. I think OSU basically wanted to take ownership of scarlet and gray Ohio gear so they could stop low-budg knockoffs (such as the dad from Family Ties) from profiting off of their image.

To fully understand my angst towards the issue you have to understand that The Ohio University and The Ohio State University have an interesting relationship. Look at every other '________state-university of _________' relationship and they're all sort of on the same playing field. Florida-Florida State, Michigan-Michigan State, Oklahoma-Oklahoma State. OU is in a smaller conference, it's a much smaller school and is a world different than the experience you get if you attend OSU. OU will never be competitive athletically with OSU and OSU as a whole looks down on OU as the little brother so it's annoying for them to act like they get to decide how the word "Ohio" is used.

recap: Ohio University completely and appropriately in the right to wear the word, "OHIO" on their athletic Uniforms, and Ohio State is stupid (13 years ago) for getting upset about a school called "Ohio" using the word "Ohio".

[andrewharrington]

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Ohio University is still the only actual OU, as the University of Oregon and the University of Oklahoma are both technically, UOs. Oregon has even dropped its UO mark to focus on the O mark. As far as I'm concerned, Oregon should get its O if that's what it wants, Ohio University should have it OU since it is actually an OU and not a UO (and that's how everyone colloquially refers to the school anyway), and Oklahoma should have to alter its logo for being dumbasses and trying to call itself OU all this time when it is clearly a UO. The University of Kansas should be ashamed for calling itself KU as well. Kentucky got UK? Oh well, you were too slow. Figure it out.

[Squeezee12]

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Ohio University is still the only actual OU, as the University of Oregon and the University of Oklahoma are both technically, UOs. Oregon has even dropped its UO mark to focus on the O mark. As far as I'm concerned, Oregon should get its O if that's what it wants, Ohio University should have it OU since it is actually an OU and not a UO (and that's how everyone colloquially refers to the school anyway), and Oklahoma should have to alter its logo for being dumbasses and trying to call itself OU all this time when it is clearly a UO. The University of Kansas should be ashamed for calling itself KU as well. Kentucky got UK? Oh well, you were too slow. Figure it out.

What he said! Couldnt agree any more than I do!

[gordie_delini]

There's some arcane Big 12 logic to the backwards nomenclature, and a lot of the schools do it - Oklahoma is OU, Colorado CU, Kansas KU, Nebraska is NU, etc. Wikipedia will likely turn up an answer better than I could put and I am too lazy to go and find it. Ultimately though Andrew's argument is on the ball, it's silly to reverse your monogram nomenclature with your official university title. Ohio should be the one and true OU and Oklahoma should be UO. And for the record most people in and around Oregon refer to it as U OF O, rather than just UO. And yes, we've moved to using our Autzen-Hayward O as the primary because it's NOT generic and unique to our school.

As to the original post, OSU should not be able to trademark the name Ohio, and it has no grounds to do so. I would refer you to the case of Liverpool FC trying to trademark the liverbird, but were denied as it is an emblem an icon of the city of Liverpool itself, not just the club. More or less a similar case here with Ohio.

[illwauk]

Nice to see the phenomena of a Big Ten school idiotically thinking it owns everything pertaining to higher education in their state isn't limited to Wisconsin. This is just the American capitalist mentality of "we're big so we should be able to do whatever we want" rearing its ugly head in a different context. Ohio State has absolutely no claim to "Ohio" and just needs to suck it up... period. The only thing more ridiculous that Ohio State in this scenario is that Ohio U apparently can't even use their own initials... this is just like the Southern Cal/South Carolina thing... just plain ridiculous. Do I need to be worried about a c&d letter from Notre Dame everytime I use my initials?

[andrewharrington]

I forgot about CU and NU, though I was sure there were others. But pertaining to the thread, Ohio State has their Script Ohio for the halftime show, but other than that, Ohio belongs to OU, as we are the oldest institution in the Northwest Territory, a full 65+ years older than Ohio State. OU owns Ohio.

[kwhey]

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Oklahoma should have to alter its logo for being dumbasses and trying to call itself OU all this time when it is clearly a UO.

Well, seeing as Ohio had a 100 year start on Oklahoma, maybe they should have trademarked that OU name and monogram before Oklahoma did.

[cajunaggie08]

There's some arcane Big 12 logic to the backwards nomenclature, and a lot of the schools do it - Oklahoma is OU, Colorado CU, Kansas KU, Nebraska is NU, etc. Wikipedia will likely turn up an answer better than I could put and I am too lazy to go and find it. Ultimately though Andrew's argument is on the ball, it's silly to reverse your monogram nomenclature with your official university title. Ohio should be the one and true OU and Oklahoma should be UO. And for the record most people in and around Oregon refer to it as U OF O, rather than just UO. And yes, we've moved to using our Autzen-Hayward O as the primary because it's NOT generic and unique to our school.

As to the original post, OSU should not be able to trademark the name Ohio, and it has no grounds to do so. I would refer you to the case of Liverpool FC trying to trademark the liverbird, but were denied as it is an emblem an icon of the city of Liverpool itself, not just the club. More or less a similar case here with Ohio.

Us Aggies typically refer to the University of Texas as t.u. Texas used to go by Texas University about a century ago. Now they do the Ohio state thing by calling the school THE University of Texas. Calling them t.u. is our way to remind them that aren't THE university that represents texas. They just happen to be a university in Texas. To this day the opening line of the aggie war hymn is still "Goodbye to texas university..."

As far as the Ohio thing. Ohio University should have the sole rights to Ohio when referring to college athletic branding and Ohio State just needs to let it go.

[illwauk]

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Oklahoma should have to alter its logo for being dumbasses and trying to call itself OU all this time when it is clearly a UO.

Well, seeing as Ohio had a 100 year start on Oklahoma, maybe they should have trademarked that OU name and monogram before Oklahoma did.

Or maybe we could start thinking about a way to curtail our overly-litigious society so that universities don't have legal complications when they try to use their own freakin' initials!

[Bobcat79]

Can you please post the two logos at the center of this dispute for us to analyze?

This article, coincidentally, I found today, simply because we're playing Ohio State this Saturday and sparks are being ignited. Many things in this I agree with, some things I don't. Notice that Jesse Owens in that photo at the beginning on the article is wearing a track jersey which just reads "OHIO" - technically now the all-caps "OHIO" is how "Ohio University" is referred to, but that jersey is Ohio State's. That's the issue at stake, I guess, or was.

I think the logo causing the problem was the plain old "arch" Ohio (there are versions without Rufus the bobcat in the center, I just can't seem to find any right now. The same Ohio that's on the football helmets). That's just "Ohio," which is identified with us. If Ohio State did the same thing in red, would it be ours or theirs?:

I mean, come on. Look at the "block O"s. I can't see a reason to get offended over this. Ohio State's O is red, ours is white. Who cares.

When I march on the field every pregame, I make the left formation ("Diamond Ohio"). When Ohio State's band members march on the field every pregame, they make the right formation ("Script Ohio").

They both spell Ohio. OSU should have gotten over it by now, considering we are the much older institution. That itself shouldn't even be the issue. If both schools reside in the same state, I think we should at least both have the right to spell out the word "Ohio" without one school accusing the other of trying to take it as their own.

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Ohio University is still the only actual OU, as the University of Oregon and the University of Oklahoma are both technically, UOs.

Amen. And the Oakland Golden Grizzlies can get away with this because it's not interlocking. The only difference between Oklahoma's and Ohio's interlocking OUs is that ours (Ohio) has slab serifs on the "U." That's it.

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Oklahoma should have to alter its logo for being dumbasses and trying to call itself OU all this time when it is clearly a UO.

Well, seeing as Ohio had a 100 year start on Oklahoma, maybe they should have trademarked that OU name and monogram before Oklahoma did.

Or maybe we could start thinking about a way to curtail our overly-litigious society so that universities don't have legal complications when they try to use their own freakin' initials!

'Hio to that.

[kwhey]

Can you please post the two logos at the center of this dispute for us to analyze?

This article, coincidentally, I found today, simply because we're playing Ohio State this Saturday and sparks are being ignited. Many things in this I agree with, some things I don't. Notice that Jesse Owens in that photo at the beginning on the article is wearing a track jersey which just reads "OHIO" - technically now the all-caps "OHIO" is how "Ohio University" is referred to, but that jersey is Ohio State's. That's the issue at stake, I guess, or was.

I think the logo causing the problem was the plain old "arch" Ohio (there are versions without Rufus the bobcat in the center, I just can't seem to find any right now. The same Ohio that's on the football helmets). That's just "Ohio," which is identified with us. If Ohio State did the same thing in red, would it be ours or theirs?:

I mean, come on. Look at the "block O"s. I can't see a reason to get offended over this. Ohio State's O is red, ours is white. Who cares.

When I march on the field every pregame, I make the left formation ("Diamond Ohio"). When Ohio State's band members march on the field every pregame, they make the right formation ("Script Ohio").

They both spell Ohio. OSU should have gotten over it by now, considering we are the much older institution. That itself shouldn't even be the issue. If both schools reside in the same state, I think we should at least both have the right to spell out the word "Ohio" without one school accusing the other of trying to take it as their own.

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Ohio University is still the only actual OU, as the University of Oregon and the University of Oklahoma are both technically, UOs.

Amen. And the Oakland Golden Grizzlies can get away with this because it's not interlocking. The only difference between Oklahoma's and Ohio's interlocking OUs is that ours (Ohio) has slab serifs on the "U." That's it.

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Oklahoma should have to alter its logo for being dumbasses and trying to call itself OU all this time when it is clearly a UO.

Well, seeing as Ohio had a 100 year start on Oklahoma, maybe they should have trademarked that OU name and monogram before Oklahoma did.

Or maybe we could start thinking about a way to curtail our overly-litigious society so that universities don't have legal complications when they try to use their own freakin' initials!

'Hio to that.

Not only can Ohio not beat Ohio State, the mascot can't even tackle Brutus. Fine athletes coming out of Athens.

Tackle Fail

[Viper]

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Oklahoma should have to alter its logo for being dumbasses and trying to call itself OU all this time when it is clearly a UO.

Well, seeing as Ohio had a 100 year start on Oklahoma, maybe they should have trademarked that OU name and monogram before Oklahoma did.

Or maybe we could start thinking about a way to curtail our overly-litigious society so that universities don't have legal complications when they try to use their own freakin' initials!

Reminds me of that record exec who once tried to sue John Fogerty for sounding too much like himself.

[BigMac12]

Can you please post the two logos at the center of this dispute for us to analyze?

This article, coincidentally, I found today, simply because we're playing Ohio State this Saturday and sparks are being ignited. Many things in this I agree with, some things I don't. Notice that Jesse Owens in that photo at the beginning on the article is wearing a track jersey which just reads "OHIO" - technically now the all-caps "OHIO" is how "Ohio University" is referred to, but that jersey is Ohio State's. That's the issue at stake, I guess, or was.

I think the logo causing the problem was the plain old "arch" Ohio (there are versions without Rufus the bobcat in the center, I just can't seem to find any right now. The same Ohio that's on the football helmets). That's just "Ohio," which is identified with us. If Ohio State did the same thing in red, would it be ours or theirs?:

I mean, come on. Look at the "block O"s. I can't see a reason to get offended over this. Ohio State's O is red, ours is white. Who cares.

When I march on the field every pregame, I make the left formation ("Diamond Ohio"). When Ohio State's band members march on the field every pregame, they make the right formation ("Script Ohio").

They both spell Ohio. OSU should have gotten over it by now, considering we are the much older institution. That itself shouldn't even be the issue. If both schools reside in the same state, I think we should at least both have the right to spell out the word "Ohio" without one school accusing the other of trying to take it as their own.

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Ohio University is still the only actual OU, as the University of Oregon and the University of Oklahoma are both technically, UOs.

Amen. And the Oakland Golden Grizzlies can get away with this because it's not interlocking. The only difference between Oklahoma's and Ohio's interlocking OUs is that ours (Ohio) has slab serifs on the "U." That's it.

What's even dumber is that the University of Oklahoma calls itself OU and owns the rights to that monogram. Oklahoma should have to alter its logo for being dumbasses and trying to call itself OU all this time when it is clearly a UO.

Well, seeing as Ohio had a 100 year start on Oklahoma, maybe they should have trademarked that OU name and monogram before Oklahoma did.

Or maybe we could start thinking about a way to curtail our overly-litigious society so that universities don't have legal complications when they try to use their own freakin' initials!

'Hio to that.

Not only can Ohio not beat Ohio State, the mascot can't even tackle Brutus. Fine athletes coming out of Athens.

Tackle Fail

Is the bobcat mascot going to be suspended?

[Bobcat79]

Is the bobcat mascot going to be suspended?

The, oddly enough, Hocking College student who played Rufus the Bobcat on Saturday's game was suspended. But, also oddly enough, tackling Brutus was his plan all along. You can read it for yourself in this article.

Trust me, I feel it was uncalled for, and I'm glad OU's athletic department has barred now ex-Rufus from any further performances. That doesn't stop me from having the still image of Rufus tackling Brutus below the belt as my desktop background currently... I saw it happen live from the stands, like 30 feet from my face. I couldn't believe it, yet I couldn't help but laugh. Poor Brutus.