"The" Ohio State University loses its three-letter mark offer

Federal regulators on Wednesday dismissed Ohio State University in its attempt to brand "the" in the name of OSU, saying such protection was simply not necessary.

The Columbus School is aggressively launched with the three-letter word, the Buckeyes Sports Organizations insisting on being tackled as teams of "The State University of the United States." ;Ohio".

Last month, OSU asked the US Patent and Trademark Office to make the word "the" an exclusive right of the Buckeyes on t-shirts, caps and hats.

"The registration is refused because the mark applied for, as it appears on the registration specimen, is merely a decorative or ornamental element of the applicant's clothing and therefore does not serve as a mark to indicate the source of the plaintiff's clothing, but also to identify and distinguish the clothing of the plaintiff. "according to Tara L. Bhupathi, the examining lawyer who handled the case.

The "the" nickname has long been reserved for sports fans and journalists, who have described it as "pompous and stupid", "ridiculous" and "arrogant".

Supporters, including the university, point out that "the" is part of its name under state law.

The school said it would consider all remedies.

"We are looking at our options and have six months to respond," said Wednesday afternoon OSU spokesman Benjamin Johnson.