In Tennessee, a middle school and a university are engaged in a trademark dispute over a mascot that shares a name. The ‘Bearcats’ mascot and logo, which have come to represent the school’s spirit but are also trademarked by the University of Cincinnati, have been ordered to stop being used by Cheatham Middle School in Cheatham County, Tennessee. This comes after the University claimed that its intellectual property rights had been violated and delivered a cease-and-desist letter.
After Cheatham Middle School administrators shared on social media that they had received the letter from the university, the school’s predicament became public knowledge. They revealed that in addition to the emblem, the word “Bearcats” itself cannot be used any more because the University allegedly owns the copyright to it. Due to these factors, the middle school has been forced to rebrand, a move that administrators acknowledge is necessary at this point. According to WLWT and other local news sites, UC’s actions were motivated by its dedication to upholding and safeguarding trademark rights.
“We reserve the right for exclusive use of the UC marks, just as many other universities and recognizable brands make significant investments to protect their own marks,” a UC spokeswoman said in an official statement acquired by Local12 News. Additionally, the letter pointed out that the middle school had adopted a mascot and emblem that closely resembles UC’s branding without first obtaining authorization. A post on the official athletic department Facebook page of the school district revealed this information.
Musketeer Gear, a business associated with UC’s rival Xavier University, has extended an olive branch while Cheatham Middle School struggles with rebranding. All of the money raised from the sale of “Cheatham Musketeers” shirts will go to the middle school. If the middle school decides to change their name to the Musketeers, a Cincinnati marketing company run by a Xavier graduate has also volunteered to create a new logo and design for them pro gratis. Anthony Breen, owner of Synergistic, told WCPO that they “look forward to Cheatham rallying around their new mascot with more energy and excitement than ever before.”
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