12/5/97

ATTENTION EDITORS, NEWS DIRECTORS: Large JPEG files suitable for newspaper reproduction of the Ohio "Attack Cat" logo and a photo of the 1908 Ohio baseball team ("Ohio" on their jerseys) are available for downloading at: http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/~univnews/pix/OHIO_ATTACK_CAT.JPG
http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/~univnews/pix/OHIO1908BASEBALL.JPG

ATHENS, Ohio -- "In spite of our best efforts to offer reasonable accommodation to Ohio State, their representatives continue to lay claim to our name as well as their own," said Alan Geiger, assistant to the president at Ohio University. "It frankly is a baffling argument that they should lay claim to use both Ohio' and Ohio State.'"

Ohio State notified the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 19, 1997 that it was considering a challenge to Ohio University's registered trademark of "Ohio" with a stylized "Attack Cat" logo, which was granted for use by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office June 3, 1997. (The "Ohio" trademark itself was granted to Ohio University May 9, 1995.)

"It defies common sense that Ohio State would also want to be known by our name," Geiger said. "If this challenge was being made by similarly named state universities in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Michigan and so on, people in those states would be as puzzled as we are by Ohio State's challenge.

"It mystifies us that Ohio State University -- an institution with dozens upon dozens of registered trademarks, including Ohio State, OSU, Brutus Buckeye, and the letter O' -- somehow finds it awkward that we should federally register our own name. In spite of several meetings and discussions on this issue, they continue to maintain their claim to Ohio University's historic name."

The deadline for Ohio State to file its objection to the amended version of the Ohio trademark that includes its athletic department's "Attack Cat" logo is Dec. 17.