Two Houston Law Schools Ordered to Mediation Over Naming Dispute

A federal judge has reportedly ordered an ongoing naming dispute between two Texas law schools to mediation.  The case arose last summer when South Texas College of Law officially changed its name to Houston College of Law and sought trademark protection for the new moniker.  In response, the University of Houston Law Center (“UH”) promptly sought a temporary injunction against the name change citing various trademark violations.

After UH’s injunction request was granted, the former South Texas College of Law agreed to once again rebrand itself using the name South Texas College of Law Houston.  South Texas also purportedly acquiesced to UH’s request that the school stop using the color crimson in its marketing campaign due to potential confusion with UH’s red-and-white school colors.

Around the same time South Texas initially changed its name, UH sought trademark protection for the word “Houston” on educational services materials such as course catalogs.  The school previously received trademark protection for the word when related to collegiate athletics.  Now, the two schools are apparently at odds over the trademarks. UH has requested that South Texas abandon its application for “Houston College of Law” and South Texas wants UH to cancel its trademark for the word “Houston.”

Since neither party appears to be willing to blink first, counsel for both schools requested that the disagreement be referred to mediation under U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo.  It will be interesting to see how the dispute is ultimately resolved!

Photo credit: Katie Haugland Bowen via Foter.com / CC BY