Ohio State University is attempting to file a trademark for one of the most common words in the English language. THE Ohio State University, as its students and alumni lovingly refer to the school as, 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.
The application is mainly for merchandise which would include t-shirts, baseball caps, and hats, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
“Like other institutions, Ohio State works to vigorously protect the university’s brand and trademarks,” Chris Davey, a spokesman for the university, told the paper. “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.”
The application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office included a photo of what the merchandise looks like.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Of course, there is no word on whether the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will actually approve the trademark. Whether the trademark is approved or not, however, it won’t stop people from referring to the college as The Ohio State.
You can view the full application from Ohio State University to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office here.
Ohio State University
: @luqmaannnnnnThe Ohio State University was founded in 1870, originally named the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The name officially changed in 1878. Ohio State’s main campus is in Columbus, Ohio with campuses also in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Newark, and Wooster.
The Columbus campus is the third-largest university campus in the United States.
Ohio State — which has an endowment of $5.2 billion — has a student body of more than 61,000 on its Columbus campus with 46,800 undergraduates and more than 14,300 undergraduates. The president of the university is Michael V. Drake, M.D.