Read the cease-and-desist letter UC sent to middle school about logo, Bearcats name; Cincinnati Enquirer, December 2, 2024

 Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer; Read the cease-and-desist letter UC sent to middle school about logo, Bearcats name

"With Cheatham on the hunt for a new name, another Cincinnati university offered up its mascot free of charge.

Anthony Breen, the CEO of Synergistic, a marketing agency in Cincinnati that works with Xavier, said the company, along with Xavier, had pledged to rebrand and redesign Cheatham's logo, mascot and wordmark. They will also provide other needed marketing support.

But it all comes with one caveat: The middle school must agree to become "Musketeers."...

Musketeer Gear, a nonprofit founded by Xavier alumni in 2022, also released a new white T-shirt that features the outline of Tennessee with "Cheatham Musketeers" written in navy blue letters. The shirts are priced at $35 and all proceeds will go directly to the middle school...

Jeff Hobbs, athletic director for Cheatham County School District, said Nov. 25 that Xavier University itself had not yet reached out to the school, and that "Musketeers" is among the names currently being considered."

Cincinnati threatens to sue middle school over copyright, Xavier campaigns to replace mascot; On3.com, November 22, 2024

 Nick Schultz, On3.com; Cincinnati threatens to sue middle school over copyright, Xavier campaigns to replace mascot

"“A few months ago, we were alerted to the use of the University of Cincinnati’s trademarks by Cheatham Middle School,” the statement read. “When we or our licensing agency, the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), identify infringing activity, the other party is contacted to educate them about the University’s rights and request they stop using the marks. As part of this process, we requested CMS to identify the various ways in which they have adopted UC’s identity so we can understand the full scale of what is involved to address the matter.

“We appreciate Cheatham Middle School’s interest in using UC’s iconic trademarks, which are recognized both nationally and globally. But CMS never requested permission to do so. Just as many other universities and recognizable brands make significant investment to protect their own marks, we reserve the right for exclusive use of the UC marks. We understand this may cause some inconveniences, but we have a responsibility to preserve and protect the University’s rights to its marks.”"