UT-Austin can't call its new think tank The Liberty Institute. Another group already owns the rights

[TexasTowelie]

by Kate McGee, Texas Tribune


For the past five months, University of Texas at Austin leaders have repeatedly stated that they have not yet officially chosen a name for a new teaching and research center publicly referred to by state leaders, and in state and university system documents, as The Liberty Institute.

One possible reason: Another Texas group has already trademarked the name.

First Liberty Institute, a Christian conservative legal organization in Plano that is known for representing clients in high-profile religious freedom cases, owns the trademark for the name “Liberty Institute,” according to Jeff Mateer, the group’s chief legal officer.

“We have raised our objections to UT’s counsel regarding any use of these marks,” Mateer said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. “UT has communicated that it respects our concerns and has not adopted the term Liberty Institute or started to use that term in its operations.”

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/25/ut-austin-liberty-institute-name/

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. This one?

Source: https://soundcloud.com/user-437458160

[TheBlackAdder]

2. I thought a trademark has to be actively used in a year or so. Does FLI just use LI in its business?

.

Just wondering how this works. If they just grab a trademark and don't actively use it, can it be revoked?

Also, aren't trademarks based on certain usage codes, so if they don't overlap two can use the same name.

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[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Actively defended. I don't think use is needed. I'm sure there would be overlap in this case

The link below does mention that the owner needs to defend it in a timely manner, but in skimming it didn't see it directly address the issue of recent usage.

https://www.hchlawyers.com/blog/2019/march/what-are-the-defenses-to-trademark-infringement-/

[Paladin]

4. Suck on THAT, Danny Goeb "Patrick." (nt)

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. Dan Partick is an idiot who forgot to check to see if name was available