How far do trademark protections extend? We're about to find out.

Is it really possible for somebody to trademark a basic article, such as “a”, “an”, “the”, or “or”? We’re about to find out!

The Ohio State University recently filed a trademark application for the basic English article “THE” in association with “Clothing, namely, t-shirts, baseball caps and hats.”

University spokesman Chris Davey confirmed the public record by admitting that the university had filed the trademark application, serial number 88571984, claiming such a filing is necessary to protect the University’s brand.

"Like other institutions, Ohio State works to vigorously protect the university's brand and trademarks," Davey told The Columbus Dispatch in a statement. "These assets hold significant value, which benefits our students and faculty and the broader community by supporting our core academic mission of teaching and research."

It usually takes about 3–5 months after filing for a trademark application to even be looked at by an examining attorney. We will find out then whether or not Ohio State can prove that “THE” has come to acquire secondary meaning, allowing it to act as a source identifier.