COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--A request from The Ohio State University to trademark the word "THE" has been denied.
The US Patent and Trademark Office denied the request Wednesday, saying the word "appears to be used in a merely decorative manner that would be perceived by consumers as having little or no particular source-identifying significance.”
Officials also told the University that New York fashion designer Marc Jacobs' clothing company had already submitted an application for THE.
The university made the request for the trademark in an effort to use the word on merchandise, like t-shirts and caps.
Many former OSU football players emphasize "THE" when introducing themselves, and mentioning where they played college football.
OSU has trademarks for other football-related monikers like "Woody", Script Ohio, and O-H-I-O.