The UH System filed a trademark infringement lawsuit Monday against the former South Texas College of Law, alleging the latter’s renaming to “Houston College of Law” will be easily confused with the UH Law Center.
When the now-Houston College of Law announced the change on Wednesday, the college’s website also debuted new school colors, red and white.
Under its previous name, the college’s colors were crimson and gold.
The lawsuit alleges that by changing its name and adopting “UH’s color scheme,” Houston College of Law is intentionally “riding on the substantial reputational coattails of UH.”
“The University of Houston Law Center’s brand is associated nationwide with top-notch faculty and lawyers,” Tony Buzbee, UH’s lead counsel in the suit, said in a news release. “UH didn’t take shortcuts to achieve this recognition. We believe the attempted renaming of South Texas College of Law is nothing more than an improper shortcut to take advantage of the success UH has achieved.”
The suit alleges that several of UH’s trademarks, including “University of Houston Law Center” and “Houston Law,” are “famous and widely known.”
When UH first threatened to take legal action, Houston College of Law said in a statement that it was “acting in the best interest of the law school and its students.”