The Ohio State University (commonly known as Ohio State or OSU) is a public research university in Columbus, Ohio. It’s a University System of Ohio member and ranks well as a U.S. public university.
It was founded in 1870 as the state’s land-grant university; it was the ninth university in Ohio and was initially known as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College.
Initially, it focused on mechanical and agricultural disciplines, but it developed into a comprehensive university and in 1878 was renamed “The Ohio State University,” which broadened the university’s scope.
In the 2000s, admission standards became more selective, and the political science department and faculty significantly contributed to the development of realist schools of international relations. An LSE study in 2004 ranked the program as the fourth worldwide. Ohio State is a leading Fulbright Student Scholarship provider and is the only school in North America offering welding-engineering degrees via an accredited program.
Ohio State’s 6.8 billion (as of 2021) endowment is one of the largest worldwide.
Alums include 5 Nobel Prize laureates, 7 Churchill Scholars, 7 Pulitzer Prize winners, 15 U.S. Representatives, 6 U.S. Senators, and more. It’s classified as having very high research activity and, as of 2021, has the most students above the 95 percentile against any other public U.S. university.
The university has an excellent student program, with over 1,000 organizations, intercollegiate, club, and recreational programs, student media organizations, sororities, and more. Its athletic team competes in the NCAA as the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the school’s football program has also had great success. They contend with the University of Michigan in a rivalry termed one of the greatest in American sports. As of 2017, Ohio State’s football program is valued at more than a billion dollars – holding a higher value than any other. The main campus is the third-largest university campus in the U.S., with almost 50,000 undergraduates and 15,000 graduate students. Ohio State competes as a member of the Big Ten conference for most of its sports.
Famous Ohio State University trademarks
OSU is one of the most prestigious public universities in the USA and one of the richest educational institutions globally. It’s no surprise that they have a decent trademark portfolio; let’s take a look at some of the trademarks registered by the Ohio State University.
Fisher College of Business
The Max Fisher College of Business is Ohio State University’s business school. It was established in 1916 as a college of Commerce and Journalism but was renamed in 1993. Fisher’s campus is located in the North part of the university, adjacent to the St. John Arena. It’s composed of several brick buildings and comprises a 370,000-square-foot complex. Fisher is a 1930 Ohio alumni who donated 20 million to the college. The business college has over 80,000 living alumni. The trademark was registered in 2007 following its first use in 1994. It’s registered for use in:
- Educational services, namely, providing courses of instruction at the college and graduate levels and distributing related course materials; arranging and conducting educational conferences in the field of business studies
Moritz College of Law
The Michael Moritz College of Law is the professional law school at Ohio University. The school is ABA accredited and is a charter member of the association of law schools. The Moritz College of Law is the 30th best overall in the U.S. and is the 5th best public law school in the U.S., according to Business Insider. According to the official 2016 ABA-mandated disclosures, 77% of students obtained required long-term employment within 12 months of graduating. Moritz is 24th in the U.S. and 1st in Ohio for job placements for law graduates. Following its first use in 2001, the trademark for the Moritz College of Law was registered in 2007 for use in:
- Educational services, namely, providing courses of instruction at the graduate level and distributing course materials in connection therewith; arranging and conducting educational conferences in the field of law studies
Bringing Knowledge To Life
OSU trademarked the slogan “Bringing Knowledge To Life.” Following its first use in 2004, it was trademarked in 2006 for use in:
- Arranging and conducting educational classes and seminars in agricultural development, community development, health and nutrition, and family and consumer sciences to advance rural and urban community development and distributed course materials
- Educational services, namely, providing courses of instruction in the field of agricultural development, community development, health and nutrition, and family and consumer sciences to advance rural and urban community development, and course materials distributed in connection therewith
Ohio State logo
The Ohio State logo is one of the most recognizable trademarks on this list, consisting of a large block letter “O” with the words “OHIO STATE” written in an arc over the center of the “O.”
This unique design has formed the basis of most Ohio state logos. It was first registered in 2011 but was first used in 1992. It’s registered for use in:
- Entertainment services, namely, providing college-level sports exhibition events and recreation programs
- Clothing, including baseball caps, jerseys, T-shirts, shoes, and more
- Educational services, namely, providing courses of instruction in sports, fitness, and exercise; providing a website containing news and information relating to sports and recreation events, including game schedules and ticket sales
The Ohio State University
One of the most important trademark applications on this list is for the university name; following its first use in 1870, the name was registered in the 2000s in the following categories:
- Bowls, cups, and insulating beverageware
- Picture frames, specifically for diplomas
- Decals
- Wallets
- Educational services
- Athletic services, namely, arranging, organizing, operating, and conducting collegiate athletic competitions and exhibitions
- Educational services, namely, providing courses of instruction in sports, fitness, and exercise; providing a website containing news and information relating to sports and recreation events, including game schedules and ticket sales
The
“The” is one of the best-known common word trademarks, and it was registered in 2022 following a trademark dispute with Marc Jacobs. It’s currently registered for use in:
- Clothing, namely, T-shirts, baseball caps, and hats, all of the preceding being promoted, distributed, and sold through channels customary to the field of sports and collegiate athletics
The James
The James Cancer Hospital is a patient-care component of the Ohio State University’s cancer center. The James fosters collaboration and integration of clinical care with the best cancer research available; it’s the largest hospital for cancer in the Midwestern region and the third largest in the nation. The trademark for the James was filed in 2013 for use in:
- Charitable foundation services, namely, fundraising to raise cancer awareness
- Educational services related to providing undergraduate and graduate courses in the cancer diagnosis, detection, treatment, and care field
- Providing continuing medical education such as workshops, seminars, and educational conferences for professionals in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and care; conducting seminars and workshops for volunteers, patients, and their families in the fields of cancer treatment and wellness
- Medical research services, namely, cancer research services
- Medical center services, namely, cancer treatment services and cancer hospital services
Wrapping up
Registering your trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will help protect your intellectual property. OSU has been involved in several high-profile trademark disputes, including against Marc Jacobs, further reinforcing the importance of correct trademark registration.
Ohio State has around 100 trademarks under trademark protection, including university initiatives, branded products, research initiatives, and logos.
