THE Ohio State University is trying to trademark the word 'The'
Of course it is.
In the most Ohio State move ever, the school recently filed a trademark application on an article of the English language: the word “The” — because of course it did.
The school has long insisted that people refer to it as The Ohio State University, and last Thursday, August 8, it filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Washington to trademark the word “The” when it precedes the school’s name. (You can’t trademark such a common word by itself.)
The trademark is primarily for apparel being sold, such as t-shirts, baseball caps and hats, as the application notes, and it is “without claim to any particular font style, size, or color.” Just whenever the three-letter word is followed by Ohio State. The application’s status is currently processing.
Screenshot: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
It’s decidedly ridiculous to try to trademark the word “The” when you’re already pushing people to say, “The Ohio State University” — which is the school’s official, formal name, but still. Anything to protect the brand.
“Like other institutions, Ohio State works to vigorously protect the university’s brand and trademarks,” Chris Davey, a spokesman for the university, said in a statement after confirming the trademark submission.
“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.”
Here’s a look at some of the documents attached to the school’s application, which can easily be found online on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s website:
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Ohio State has 150 trademarks in 17 countries as of last year, according to The Columbus Dispatch, and it previously trademarked the names and likenesses of Urban Meyer and Woody Hayes in 2015 and 2016, respectively. That’s understandable, as is the school’s trademark of Script Ohio and even The Shoe, per ESPN.
But trying to trademark “The” reaches a new level of obnoxious.