University of Houston Law Center sues over law school's 'strikingly similar' new name
The University of Houston Law Center claims in a lawsuit that the South Texas College of law infringed its trademark by changing its name to the Houston College of Law and adopting its red-and-white colors.
The suit, filed on Monday in Houston federal court, also alleges unfair competition, according to a press release. Above the Law and the Houston Chronicle have stories.
The suit (PDF) claims South Texas College of Law’s new name is “strikingly similar” to the University of Houston Law Center. Potential law students may be confused into believing that there is an affiliation between the schools or that they are “one and the same entity,” the suit says.
The University of Houston Law Center is ranked No. 50, while the newly named Houston College of Law is unranked.
The lead lawyer for the University of Houston Law Center is Tony Buzbee.”The University of Houston Law Center’s brand is associated nationwide with top-notch faculty and lawyers,” Buzbee said in the press 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.”
Houston College of Law officials declined to comment when contacted by the Houston Chronicle.
