Can I legally use...

JP Maroney · 06:42 PM

Question:

Can you LEGALLY use the word, "University" in products, services, seminars, bootcamps, etc?

Seems at one time or another I heard that was a problem -- but can't remember where.

Ex:

Copywriting Course from Copywriting University - Best-Selling Copy Secrets Revealed on DVD

Not picking on Ken (one of our fellow members) ... just all I could think of right off hand.

Thoughts?

Any legal eagles out there?

Ken_Calhoun · 06:29 PM

Hi - please remove my URLs from your post asap - I do not want the links here being in top 10 google searches for my sites, as that could negatively impact my business - thanks. Also your thread title saying "illegal usage" causes/implies defamation about my business, which can harm my reputation, and is therefore legally actionable. Thanks for removing this thread and/or removing my trading site name from it.

-ken

edited to add: or just remove the trading one, as I already have the copywriting one in my sig here - thanks!

Also re university usage, I am not aware of any problems, in fact Michel is calling his and Sylvie's new site "Success Chef University", and there's countless other ones, like Trump University, Brian Tracy University and others...

JP Maroney · **Re: Illegal use of the word... -** 06-09-2008, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken_Calhoun

Hi - please remove my URLs from your post asap - I do not want the links here being in top 10 google searches for my sites, as that could negatively impact my business - thanks. Also your thread title saying "illegal usage" causes/implies defamation about my business, which can harm my reputation, and is therefore legally actionable. Thanks for removing this thread.

-ken

edited to add: or just remove the trading one, as I already have the copywriting one in my sig here - thanks!

Also re university usage, I am not aware of any problems, in fact Michel is calling his and Sylvie's new site "Success Chef University", and there's countless other ones, like Trump University, Brian Tracy University and others...though I came up with the concept back in '99 to the best of my knowledge, eg the first commercial online university (non-academic) in usage.

1) I've edited the link for the day trading one.

2) Thanks for the input

I hope it's not a problem ... I have a couple of projects I REALLY wanna launch that spin off that "name."

Again, thanks!

Ken_Calhoun · **Re: Can I legally use... -** 06-09-2008, 06:30 PM

Hi - please completely remove my trading business' site name (not just the active url link.. the entire reference to my trading site) - thanks. This forum is well-spidered, so I don't want my trading sites appearing in google for my customers to come here, which it still would be via vbseo used, w/or w/o active links... thanks JP.

I also have Selling University - Sales Training That Delivers Results - Today! (which I don't mind being spidered here) and surfinguniversity.com and keyboarduniversity.com and many many non-active others..... also there's synonyms like "Institute" "Academy" and "College" etc, though I don't know about compliance issues if any exist... good question.

Ken

JP Maroney · **Re: Can I legally use... -** 06-09-2008, 06:44 PM

DONE... now leave me alone! LOL

Seriously, no prob...

Al Henderson · **Re: Can I legally use... -** 06-09-2008, 07:31 PM

I recall hearing that AWAI had to stop using the word "school" for legal reasons, some time ago (something to do with accreditation) ... but I don't know if all "related" terms are verbotin, as well.

- Al

PS - I stand to be corrected on this.

Riss619 · **Re: Can I legally use... -** 06-09-2008, 07:52 PM

I believe it differs state-by-state. Check with your county recorder... or whoever handles your specific state's fictitious name filing procedures.

marciayudkin · 09:29 AM

Hey JP,

This is an interesting question. I just did a quick internet search and discovered that the use of the word "university" in a name the way you proposed appears to be illegal in:

Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Hongkong
Germany
and some U.S. states, including Wyoming.

So you may need to look into your own state's regulations and think about whether or not you have a sizable international market. Best: Consult a lawyer in your own state.

Marcia Yudkin

Dean Kennedy · **Re: Can I legally use... -** 06-10-2008, 07:06 AM

Yep, can't use "University" in Australia (amongst some other restrictions on business names).

But another "university" program I can think of is Tony Robbins' Mastery University... it's been around for quite some time, well before I was a "student" of it in 2002.

Cheers,

vdmp · **Re: Can I legally use... -** 06-10-2008, 10:38 AM

There's several guru's using University like Ron Legrand and Donald Trump. It's usually a collection of Courses and Live Seminars so I think it's appropriate.