Draft Deal Reached in Law School Naming Dispute Following Formal Mediation

Two Houston law schools have reportedly resolved an ongoing naming dispute through formal mediation.  The unique case arose last summer when South Texas College of Law officially changed its name to Houston College of Law and pursued trademark protection for the new moniker.  The University of Houston Law Center (“UH”) responded by promptly obtaining a temporary injunction against the name change and accusing South Texas of various trademark violations.

According to a prior blog post:

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.”

Last month, counsel for both schools requested that the disagreement be referred to mediation under U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo.  A draft agreement was apparently reached last Thursday following two days of mediation.  Although the terms of the deal have not been released, the resolution now requires formal approval from both the South Texas College of Law Board and the UH Chancellor.

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