For years, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has shut down Ohio State University’s trademark application for the word “the” on the grounds that the trademark appeared to be used for “merely decorative manner” and as an “ornamental feature” rather than serving as a symbol distinguishing the University’s goods and identifying its source. Under … Continue reading Ohio State University Has Now Trademarked the Most Common Word in the English Language: Why the USPTO Granted the University the Exclusive Right to the Word “THE”