University of Arizona forces Ohio H.S. to change logo
The University of Arizona is making a small Ohio high school change its logo. It has every right to, considering UA holds the trademark on the "A" used in the logo. Regardless, the Ohio community is upset.
“(Arizona is) 2000 miles away,” Kerri Ferguson, who works at Main Street Treasures and a Plain City memorabilia store, said to the local ABC station. “What do they care for a little farm community and a very small school?”
Jonathan Alder (Plain City, Ohio) High School's logo uses black instead of the blue used by UA, and it's used the logo for years without a problem, according to a statement posted on its website.
After being tipped off by a licensing company based in Atlanta, the university sent the school a cease-and-desist letter.
The high school admins tried to negotiate with the university, to no avail. And so, the search is on for a new logo. The statement shows that there is already an existing Alder "A" - so the search really shouldn't take all that long. Why that one wasn't used in the logo is not clear.
JAHS is hardly the first school to be hit with a cease-and-desist from a distant university or college. Penn State issued one to a high school in Texas, Notre Dame sent one to New Mexico, University of Texas sent one to Kansas, and on and on. Some universities have sent letters to as many as 50 high schools, according to an article in High School Today.
JAHS will continue using any uniforms that include the logo, but any future uniforms will have to sport a new logo.
High school is supposed to be an educational experience. The town might not be happy, but the students are definitely learning the nuances of trademark law.
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Danielle Elliot is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact her at delliot@yahoo-inc.com or find her on Twitter and Facebook.
