Legends wear blue.

[Huff77]

Driving to and from Cincinnati this morning and looking at all of the "Real ____ wear blue" billboards I got to wondering...
Does IU have a tm on the term Hoosiers? Because if not why don't we start something with them and put up a billboard saying "Real Hoosiers wear blue"

 

[4Q_iu]

Driving to and from Cincinnati this morning and looking at all of the "Real ____ wear blue" billboards I got to wondering...
Does IU have a tm on the term Hoosiers? Because if not why don't we start something with them and put up a billboard saying "Real Hoosiers wear blue"

They claim they do...

https://policies.iu.edu/policies/fin-lt-licensing-trademark/index.html

 

[DyedBlue]

A good job for the RT Green law firm: all residents of Indiana are known as "Hoosiers". There must be a workaround that refers to the citizens and not a University in Bloomington.

 

[Huff77]

Yeah...my thoughts exactly. Maybe the particular way Hoosiers is written is trademarked, but I can't imagine you could trademark the actual term.

 

[Jason Svoboda]

Yeah...my thoughts exactly. Maybe the particular way Hoosiers is written is trademarked, but I can't imagine you could trademark the actual term.

I believe the way the USPTO works if you can trademark the term but it has to be for a specific use. So multiple people could trademark Hoosiers but for different uses. I do know that they will deny requests if they are similar industry. There is actually a search on the Gov's website that I looked through many moons ago when I actually got a C&D letter.

That said, I think I remember that geographic descriptors are fair game so that usage would be deemed for people in Indiana and they'd be SOL.

 

[4Q_iu]

I believe the way the USPTO works if you can trademark the term but it has to be for a specific use. So multiple people could trademark Hoosiers but for different uses. I do know that they will deny requests if they are similar industry. There is actually a search on the Gov's website that I looked through many moons ago when I actually got a C&D letter.

That said, I think I remember that geographic descriptors are fair game so that usage would be deemed for people in Indiana and they'd be SOL.

FWIW on the "iu licensing and trademark policy" website - they claim trademark rights to "Indiana"

https://policies.iu.edu/policies/fin-lt-licensing-trademark/index.html

Take that for what it's worth because I know I'm not sending those f*cks a check every time I utter the word Indiana - regardless of the context

 

[4Q_iu]

I believe the way the USPTO works if you can trademark the term but it has to be for a specific use. So multiple people could trademark Hoosiers but for different uses. I do know that they will deny requests if they are similar industry. There is actually a search on the Gov's website that I looked through many moons ago when I actually got a C&D letter.

That said, I think I remember that geographic descriptors are fair game so that usage would be deemed for people in Indiana and they'd be SOL.

wonder how many court battles have occurred between these two parties...

IUP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_University_of_Pennsylvania

IU(B)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_University

 

[Huff77]

Dude look at all the FORMER names of the school. They've been looking to change states for a long time.

 

[4Q_iu]

Dude look at all the FORMER names of the school. They've been looking to change states for a long time.

IIRC, there's a bit of confusion in old sports database(s) lumping IUP in with that reform institute in gloomington (aka IU(B)) but also at time with ISU because of IUP's multitude of names...

Looks like Indiana, PA is older than the state of Indiana and pulled their name from a colonial-era treaty with lands set aside for American Indians of that time.

 

[theDebster]

Can confirm "Real Hoosiers Wear Blue" was EXACTLY what Deb's Indy marketing firm proposed in June 2022. I was at the presentation. They thought it was edgy. I thought it was misguided, taking on a brand, deserved or not, so entrenched and, for many, beloved. That was after a previous proposal from Deb's enrollment guy and her Indy marketing firm that amounted to "ISU! We're cheap!" I think the whole "blue" thing as a marketing message falls flat, especially in Indy, which is critical. Blue is the name of Butler's mascot and the Colts' mascot. "Blue Fridays" refers to the Colts. Butler is blue. Even the Indy Eleven calls itself the "Boys in Blue." Of course, the enrollment guy from North Dakota and the in-house marketing person with no connection to the state are clueless about that. But they suck up to Deb, which is all that matters.