The University of Wisconsin at Madison has filed a trademark-infringement lawsuit against Washburn University over a logo it says is too similar to its “Motion W.”
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the lawsuit says that over the past six years, Wisconsin has repeatedly asked Washburn, a 7,200-student institution, in Topeka, Kan., to stop using the logo.
Wisconsin’s Motion W was designed for the football team’s helmets in 1990. Washburn officials said they have not received the lawsuit yet, but they have no idea how Washburn’s logo could be confused with Wisconsin’s.
In the lawsuit, Wisconsin asks for an injunction prohibiting Washburn’s use of the Motion W trademark or any other similar to Wisconsin’s. It also asks for compensation for money earned from the logo’s use, chiefly through licensing revenue, and for punitive damages. —Anna Weggel
