Are State Names Trademarked for Schools?

There's an apparel maker in Rhode Island that is feeling the heat from Ohio. Teespring Inc. produced a T-shirt with "O-H-I-O" on the front and Ohio State University isn't happy about it.

The university says that the shirt infringes on OSU trademarks. They are seeking $1 million in damages and want Teepsring to stop selling the T-shirt. OSU says many people in the state directly associate the symbol with the university. They received a nontraditional trademark on the image "O-H-I-O" in 2012.

As a state with a fellow prominent Big Ten university, this case could have ramifications in Indiana at some point. To read more about the issue at hand in our neighboring state, read this article.