Redesigned Zips Logo?

[K-Roo]

New Weatherford High School Logo Story

"“The entire process to change and trademark a new logo would take up to a year,” Moore said. “The majority of the delay would be waiting for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to approve the logo.”

Moore provided two references and price quotes from professional graphic artists, including a proposal from Joe Bosack of The Joe Bosack Graphic Design Company, who has done work for major professional and collegiate programs like the Colorado Avalanche hockey team, Iowa State University, UNLV, and Mississippi State University.

“Bosack’s redesign of the Akron (Ohio) Zips kangaroo logo helped that school’s ‘Fear the Roo’ campaign win a 2005-06 National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators Best of Show award for a ‘new revenue-generating idea,’” Moore added."

[Zipmeister]

New Weatherford High School Logo Story

"“The entire process to change and trademark a new logo would take up to a year,” Moore said. “The majority of the delay would be waiting for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to approve the logo.”

Moore provided two references and price quotes from professional graphic artists, including a proposal from Joe Bosack of The Joe Bosack Graphic Design Company, who has done work for major professional and collegiate programs like the Colorado Avalanche hockey team, Iowa State University, UNLV, and Mississippi State University.

“Bosack’s redesign of the Akron (Ohio) Zips kangaroo logo helped that school’s ‘Fear the Roo’ campaign win a 2005-06 National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators Best of Show award for a ‘new revenue-generating idea,’” Moore added."

Can they do that?

Yes they can. It's the same thing we did recently.

Can we use it too?

Yes we can if we pay them a royalty, but our logo is pretty good.

[Class of 82]

New Weatherford High School Logo Story

"“The entire process to change and trademark a new logo would take up to a year,” Moore said. “The majority of the delay would be waiting for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to approve the logo.”

Moore provided two references and price quotes from professional graphic artists, including a proposal from Joe Bosack of The Joe Bosack Graphic Design Company, who has done work for major professional and collegiate programs like the Colorado Avalanche hockey team, Iowa State University, UNLV, and Mississippi State University.

“Bosack’s redesign of the Akron (Ohio) Zips kangaroo logo helped that school’s ‘Fear the Roo’ campaign win a 2005-06 National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators Best of Show award for a ‘new revenue-generating idea,’” Moore added."

I'm no trademark expert, but that looks awfully close to a violation to me, especially what looks exactly like the "Fear the Roo" logo on the upper right.

It's not possible UA wouldn't have secured rights to its own images, is it?

[zen]

Since it's an academic/education institution, their "fair use" privileges are a lot more lenient than would be to an individual or business.

However, if the use can be demonstrated to be more promotional than educational, and if the resemblance can be demonstrated as very close to duplication and infringing on trademark (legally, this is difficult because of how you define non subjective judgement), then UA might have a good case. Problem is, would you pursue it? Who wants to be seen as bullying some highschool?

[UAZips]

Since it's an academic/education institution, their "fair use" privileges are a lot more lenient than would be to an individual or business.

However, if the use can be demonstrated to be more promotional than educational, and if the resemblance can be demonstrated as very close to duplication and infringing on trademark (legally, this is difficult because of how you define non subjective judgement), then UA might have a good case. Problem is, would you pursue it? Who wants to be seen as bullying some highschool?

Pitt has no problem with it

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports...er-logo-243783/

Neither does Wisconsin

http://cjonline.com/stories/120507/loc_222902997.shtml

[Zipsrifle]

I would think we would let any school use the design with one caveat: They would have to credit the University of Akron for the logo. Now I'm not exactly sure the manner in which to credit the university, but the premise is that the students and their parents CLEARLY know the logo originated at UA. This would be one manner in which to promote UA that would cost the University nothing.

[LZIp]

Since it's an academic/education institution, their "fair use" privileges are a lot more lenient than would be to an individual or business.

However, if the use can be demonstrated to be more promotional than educational, and if the resemblance can be demonstrated as very close to duplication and infringing on trademark (legally, this is difficult because of how you define non subjective judgement), then UA might have a good case. Problem is, would you pursue it? Who wants to be seen as bullying some highschool?

Colleges suing high schools for using their logo is actually a pretty common thing.

[Z.I.P.]

Pitt has no problem with it

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports...er-logo-243783/

Neither does Wisconsin

http://cjonline.com/stories/120507/loc_222902997.shtml

Hey -- I remember one university that once tried to trademark the letter "O"! for hutzpah.

[akzipper]

High Schools all over the country have used recolored professional/college logos for decades. It sometimes causes problems, but usually gets overlooked. Could be because the bigger organizations don't care, or because it's way too common to take down every school. I have a friend that worked at a printing company and said daily they'd see dozens of projects come in, for highschools, that had ripoff logos.

As far as the Kangaroo, I don't really see it as a problem. The logo is different enough, I can't see UA going after a HS because they chose to use a kangaroo. If they used the slogan "Fear The Roo" I can definitely see a trademark issue. But look at it this way how many different ways can you make a kangaroo logo?

[ZippyRulz]

I would think we would let any school use the design with one caveat: They would have to credit the University of Akron for the logo. Now I'm not exactly sure the manner in which to credit the university, but the premise is that the students and their parents CLEARLY know the logo originated at UA. This would be one manner in which to promote UA that would cost the University nothing.

This. Why wouldn't we want as many high schools across the country as possible to emulate us, see the logos, and hear "Akron Zips" and "Fear the Roo"? Our revenue received from 'protecting' the logos would be $0....schools would just use something else rather than pay. Think of it as free advertising.

[Zipsrifle]

This. Why wouldn't we want as many high schools across the country as possible to emulate us, see the logos, and hear "Akron Zips" and "Fear the Roo"? Our revenue received from 'protecting' the logos would be $0....schools would just use something else rather than pay. Think of it as free advertising.

I think we are on the same page. I'm saying we use it to promote UofA, NOT to get money.

[akzipper]

This. Why wouldn't we want as many high schools across the country as possible to emulate us, see the logos, and hear "Akron Zips" and "Fear the Roo"? Our revenue received from 'protecting' the logos would be $0....schools would just use something else rather than pay. Think of it as free advertising.

But are they really promoting UofA? If there is a school out there called "East High Kangaroos" using our logos, people will see their gear and think of "East High". It will be in their colors, have their names, etc. If someone looks at their gear, and automatically thinks "Akron Zips" they obviously already know about us, and thus wouldn't be someone we need to promote to. A high school using our logos might not cost us money, but it's even more unlikely it will earn us money.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Fear the Roos.

UMKC has more of a beef than us.