Ohio State Awarded Trademark for "THE"

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--It can now officially be called "THE" Ohio State University.

The US Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the university it's trademark request, to use the word "THE" on officially licensed clothing.

Attorney Josh Gerben was the first to report the news, with the office awarding the trademark on Tuesday.

The university originally applied for the trademark in August of 2019, but the government office initially denied the request for two reasons: the university's use of "THE" was "purely ornamental", and the Mark Jacobs clothing company had filed a similar request several months earlier.

Gerben reports that the university and Mark Jacobs reached a settlement on it's use, of which the terms were not disclosed. The USPTO said both companies could use 'THE", and it took until recently for OSU to clean up the "merely ornamental" issue.

Many current and former OSU student-athletes emphasize "THE" when talking about Ohio State, hence the school's request for the trademark.


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