The word “the”
One of the more recent soon-to-be failed trademark attempts was filed by Ohio State University earlier in 2019. Their proposed trademark? The word “the.” The university filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in August in an attempt to trademark the word in order to sell merchandise with the university’s full name exclusively.
While the trademark hasn’t technically failed yet (though many expect it will), the Ohio State University has sure been relentlessly mocked on social media for the move.
