iTexas iphone App Raises Trademark Infringement Questions

Recently, I read an article by Wells Dunbar in The Austin Chronicle about an iphone app called iTexas titled, Texas Trademark War: UT vs. iTexas . It was a discouraging and hard to believe story about the potential loss of a very useful application that allowed University of Texas students the ability to browse their iphone app and check out cafeteria menus, the balance in their school account, check the directory, find building (harder than you’d think at Texas), set class schedules, etc.

However, the University of Texas wasn’t so pleased with the name iTexas. The University claimed the name, iTexas, would cause confusion among the public on who the actual proprietor of the app was.

Throughout the years, Texas attained several trademarks relating to the University, one of which is the term Texas itself. Although hard to believe, UT owns the mark Texas, but is limited in its use of the term. When establishing a trademark one must 

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