Franklin College v. Franklin University

Franklin College, in Indiana, filed a complaint in federal court Monday seeking to stop Franklin University -- an Ohio institution that has opened a campus in Indiana -- from using the Franklin name in ways that the college considers confusing and an infringement on its trademark. Franklin College's president James Moseley issued a statement in which he said that many people who have seen the university's "advertising blitz" have been confused about whether the college was changing its mission. He said that the federal complaint was a "necessary decision to deal with a situation that could negatively affect our school’s good name and reputation. He added that the university's ads "include colors and a ’clock tower’ design amazingly similar to our logo." The university responded with a statement of its own, saying: "Franklin University is and has been publicizing its presence in Indianapolis using its own name in a completely factual and consistent manner.... Now that Franklin College has chosen to use the legal system to resolve this matter, rather than contacting Franklin University, Franklin University will certainly act to protect the right to use its own name to publicize its programs."