Take That, USC!

Who's the real 'SC?

According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, it's the University of Southern California ... not the University of South Carolina.

On Friday, the local USC won an administrative tribunal that helped define who has rights to the "SC" logo, including the interlocking version. The case originated back in 2002.

Here's some additional trivia on the ongoing battle for the "real" USC:

• The University of Southern California is also fighting a trademark battle against a high school in Utah that calls itself the USC Trojans and uses cardinal and gold as their school colors.
• Earlier this year, the USC Gamecocks altered their official school color because of similarities with the USC Trojans. Both schools used the exact same manufacturing color codes for a variant of red known here in Los Angeles as "cardinal." Though the change to another shade of red was subtle, school officials reportedly made the switch after research showed they had lost the brand identity battle in the eye of the public -- even in South Carolina.
• In recent years, the Gamecocks have been fighting another trademark battle -- trying to stop companies from making unlicensed "USC 'Cocks" merchandise. Several of those items (mainly hats) have appeared on the Los Angeles USC campus.
• The University of Southern California loathes the moniker "Southern Cal," even though it makes a limited run of "Southern Cal" branded apparel every year. The production is necessary for the school to retain its trademark and prevent anybody else from using it.
• The school color for Santa Clara University, sometimes referred to as the University of Santa Clara (USC), is also a variation of red.
• South Carolina owns www.sc.edu, Santa Clara owns www.scu.edu, and Southern California owns www.usc.edu.
• The University of Southern California has a detailed identity program described on this website.

-- Adam Rose

Comments

[GLee4USC]

You Californians are so petty and childish. When using USC here in the southeast, everybody knows it's South Carolina. Here it is Southern Cal or 'SC' for you trojans. Can't we all just get along. BTW, our color is and always has been Garnet, not cardinal. maybe you should take that fight up with Stanford. Good grief.

[NoName]

No true. The only place where USC means south carolina is in the demented minds of the people who support that second rate joke of a school. The real USC is in California and the whole country (including you) knows that. Move on.

[ColaCock]

The University of South Carolina was established before California was a STATE! Since we use the logo primarily in baseball, how about we get our boys on the field versus your boys and slug it out?

2nd rate of a school? Check your facts buddy. Just because you have "uppity" alumni tossing money at the feet of Southern Cal administration, doesn't give you the title of a first-rate school.

In the South (where football is king), the only thing people know of Southern Cal is that they won a couple National Championships and are lucky due to the fact that they could never compete in the SEC where real football is played. Pac-10 is a joke.

[Kyleallen]

South Carolina founded 1801
Southern California founded 1880
So YOU tell me who the ORIGINAL USC is?
Unfortunately for people in California, you must realize not everyone likes California and we dont think that you are the coolest cats on the block. So stay Southern Cal and like it.

[Mitch]

Uhhh, yeahh, a few national championships indeed. Where does Southern California rank overall? 1st? 2nd? for total national championships won? 12 BASEBALL national championships. 12. How many has South Carolina won? I live in the south and hear what you are saying every day from dumb crackers trying to stake a claim to entitlement to the SC-USC nickname. What people down here do not realize is that the chant "We are SC" has been around for decades and decades and was the first "We Are" chant in the nation, long before Marshall, VPI and others started using it. You guys really do need to move on and concentrate on getting better at intercollegiate sports.

[Marcos El Malo]

University of South Carolina is a third rate school in a second rate state. Enough said. Now let's get back to the important stuff, like hating on UCLA.

[Kyle]

Dumb crackers???

Keep it classy Southern Cal.

[Kyle]

Also, you should focus on getting out of the ____hole that is LA before telling us what to do. Outside of Ferrell, Southern Cal has produced nothing worthwhile. There's a reason I stay on the East Coast.

[GoTigers2321]

HAHAHA!!! Just more proof that Carolina South has no identity nor tradition!!!!

LOL!!

GO TIGERS!!!!!
23-21!!!!

[Does it really matter?]

Actually, USC has the tradition of being a university before California was even a state.

I say give it back to Mexico.

[86 SC Grad]

SC has continous use since 1801 in trade or publication. This is a sham that will be reversed on appeal. This is a media generated sensation, without which no one east of the rockies would care.

[Sam]

Soooo... the folks at Southern Cal really can't tell the difference between this:

http://store.cstv.com/marketplace/store/Vendor22/fullscale/3913577-c.jpg

and this:

http://store.cstv.com/marketplace/store/Vendor141/fullscale/651920521368-1-c.jpg

?

[ColaCock]

^^^

well for starters, the LA Times and whatever other media outlet first covered this story, they are referencing the wrong logo for Southern Cal. Obviously, the two they are comparing aren't alike in any way- alignment, font, colors, etc.

The Southern Cal baseball program uses a interlocking "SC" that is aligned like the South Carolina baseball program's "SC". Maybe if they could start getting the graphics right to support their story, it would make more sense. At any rate, this is an absurd legal matter. Also...didn't South Carolina lend rights to Southern Cal back in the 80's to use "USC" free of licensing restrictions? I believe so.

The University of South Carolina was established before California was a STATE!
Not true. South Carolina College was established before California was a state.

Since we use the logo primarily in baseball, how about we get our boys on the field versus your boys and slug it out?
Why? What national baseball championship have you won?

2nd rate of a school? Check your facts buddy. Just because you have "uppity" alumni tossing money at the feet of Southern Cal administration, doesn't give you the title of a first-rate school.
Please. South Carolina isn't even the best school in South Carolina and it's probably not even third best.

In the South (where football is king),
That's true but what has South Carolina done to contribute to "the crown"? On the football field, your program is one of college football's ALL TIME LOSERS!

the only thing people know of Southern Cal is that they won a couple National Championships and are lucky due to the fact that they could never compete in the SEC where real football is played. Pac-10 is a joke.

Conference arguments are for fans that follow loser programs. I guess that's why South Carolina fans are so loud about their conference membership.

[Bubba Fetner]

Nobody in South Carolina gives a damn about anything in the entire state of Mexifornia!
We are SC always have been SC and always will be SC.
Thanks for increasing our SC sales !
And stay where you are it really sucks here ! Ha ha!
Go Cocks!

[Seacock]

Really, is there anything in California that is "real"?

[USC GAMECOCK]

The Gamecocks are SC and USC...period.

Southern Cal isn't.

Well what you you expect from the state of 'Fruits and Nuts'. Well maybe it won't be too long that will fall off in the ocean!!

[Richard in Columbia, SC]

This is absurd. South Carolina was a college, 1801, before California was even a state. I fully agree that "USC" is known far and wide to stand for Southern Cal. However, for the Courts to rule that the University of South Carolina, the flagship University of SC, cannot use SC is ridiculous.
I can't imagine who would find this confusing.

[fightonSC]

Well what you you expect from the state of 'Fruits and Nuts'.

Last I checked, that was better than inbred and ignorant

[82 USC grad]

A little research from both school's website history shows that the University of Southern California was indeed named USC upon establishment in 1880. The school in South Carolina opened with a single building in 1805. It was not named the University of South Carolina until it was rechartered in 1906. Prior to that time the school was opened and closed a number of times (opened in 1866, closed in 1877, opened in 1880, and rechartered in 1906). Prior to 1906, the school was not called "University of South Carolina." By the way, the real USC had its first football game in 1888. South Carolina did not start their football program until 1895, some 7 years later. USC played Penn State and won the very first Rose Bowl in 1923. South Carolina played in its first bowl game in 1995, the Carquest Bowl against WVa, some 73 years later. South Carolina does however have the record for the longest division 1A losing streak of 21 games over 1998 and 1999. That unenviable streak was broken in 2000, with Lou Holtz as head coach over New Mexico State.

[Go Tigers]

Silly Coots

23-21

Now go finish making my double cheeseburger _____

[82 USC grad]

Tomorrow's history smackdown will feature both Auburn and LSU Tigers. Now go clean my pool...loser.

[K Petit]

Carolina's first bowl game was played in 1946. It was the inaugural Gator Bowl. USC played in 8 bowl games BEFORE 1995. So it is incorrect to say USC's first bowl game was 1995.

[Henry]

I didn't go to either school. Based on the quality of the dialogue here, I am glad I didn't. Does either USC teach logic, grammar, or at least basic civility? Indeed, you guys should be grateful that you're even allowed to use "University" in your schools' names.