This may be routine trademark infringement policing. Lawyers send out tough-sounding letters but you can often settle the dispute short of litigation. Communication is the key. Find out what you must do to bring yourself into compliance and get it done.

A quick perusal of the trademark list at the Patent and Trademark Office shows that the University owns Texas Aggies, but not Aggies. You should get a good intellectual property lawyer and have the term Aggie Student Bonfire trademarked. That should settle all issues.

They pulled this BS with a friend of mine who owns a Bonfire-related website. He called them and talked it out with them. He added a disclaimer to his website stating that he was in no way related to TAMU and they have left him alone ever since.

Personally, if they are suing you, I say f-em and they will never get another red cent out of me. Buncha #^(k-tards.

*edit - spelled like a drunkard - fixed spelling issues.

[This message has been edited by Kip95 (edited 12/19/2005 1:14p).]

I got the letter saturday when I checked my mail. I am going to write an e-mail to the lawyer stating that I found that Texas Aggie is trademarked and we have not said we are "Texas Aggie Student Bonfire", we have called ourselves "Aggie Student Bonfire"

Good idea. If the lawyer is still working pro bono on behalf of Student Bonfire, it might be best to let him handle the whole matter. Lawyers talking to lawyers tends to level the playing field.

Would a letter to Gates help? I don't think he would be a fan of sueing students.

The word Aggie is a trademark of Texas A&M in the State of Texas. The USPTO only recognizes Texas Aggie.

Hence, every estbalishment in B/CS being 'Aggieland XXXX' and not 'Aggie XXXX'.

Keegan,

If 'Aggie' is trademarked in the state of Texas, why does the univ not sue every other business in Texas with the word 'Aggie' in their name. A quick look at the Texas Sec of State's office corporation search turns up no less than 63 corporations in Texas with 'Aggie' in their name, including several distributors of alcoholic beverages. Just an idea to help battle the admin.

This may not be a "battle with the administration." The university's lawyers may be just doing their job. The letter sent to Aggie Student Bonfire may have been one of dozens send during the lastest round of sniffing out potential trademark violators.

Just do what needs to be done to resolve the situtation to the lawyers' satisfacton. As several previous posters have indicated, there is probably a painless way out of this.