Kentucky Versus Team Kentucky

This has to be one of the most unusual lawsuits I've ever seen involving the University of Kentucky. It just doesn't make any sense.

Here we go; back in March of last year, state officials and Governor Beshear introduced us all to "Team Kentucky", a united effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. A trademark for "Team Kentucky" was filed, also last March.

The University of Kentucky has decided the designs for "Team Kentucky" are "highly similar" and that Kentucky Wildcat fans may mistake "Team Kentucky" for UK clothing and hurt sales. Okay, huh?

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Here's what UK officials had to say:

The university “supports and applauds the governor’s use of the phrase ‘Team Kentucky,’” spokesman Jay Blanton said in a statement, but it is required under trademark law “to assert its ownership of trademarked words and images.”

“The university acted in accordance with that federal regulation by filing this information with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. UK has been working alongside the governor’s office throughout this process,” he said.

State officials have until September 22nd to file an official response to UK's with the Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

The Unversity's "Kentucky" athletic clothing trademark was registered in 1997 which has me wondering why it was only filed 24 years ago considering the basketball team's high profile which has endured for decades.

I'm truly baffled, if you want to try and figure out this odd lawsuit, HERE it is.

Hopefully, all involved parties can team up and move on.