The University of Houston (UH) is standing its ground in its dispute with the National Football League (NFL) over the use of light blue uniforms by the Cougars' sports teams. Despite receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the league, UH has informed the NFL of their decision to move forward with the jerseys.
The University of Houston (UH) has defied the NFL's cease-and-desist letter and will continue to use light blue alternative uniforms for its sports teams. The decision comes months after the NFL sent the university a legal notice claiming that the university's uniforms were a "blatant copying" of the Houston Oilers' trademark.
In a letter sent to the NFL last month, UH informed the league of its decision to move forward with the jerseys, the Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday.
Athletic director Chris Pezman told the outlet that UH has a defensible position in using the light blue uniforms.
"We literally have a story we can show the city uses it," Pezman said at the Big 12's spring meetings. "This isn't a reach. This is a layup. We've got a very defensible position."
"We've reviewed everything and come to the conclusion that we are going to proceed," Pezman added.
Pezman said that the school is giving the NFL "two to three weeks" to respond to their letter. As of Tuesday, the Chronicle reported that the league had not responded to the letter.
The issue began on Sept. 2, when the Cougars' football team wore the light blue jerseys, which they called a tribute to "H-Town Pride." However, the NFL sent a legal notice to the school, believing that the jerseys were too similar to the Oilers' "Luv Ya Blue" era, the rights of which are owned by the Tennessee Titans after the franchise's move in the late 1990s.
In the October letter, first obtained by the Houston Chronicle, the NFL said that the university's "attempt to free ride on the popularity of the NFL and the club violates the intellectual property rights of the NFL and (Tennessee) Titans."
Pezman told the outlet that the university is working on a new design that still pays respect to the city's football history. A timetable for the release of the new uniforms has not been finalized.
The dispute between UH and the NFL over the use of light blue uniforms is the latest in a series of legal battles between universities and professional sports leagues over the use of intellectual property. In recent years, the NCAA has been involved in several lawsuits over the use of trademarks and copyrights by universities.
The outcome of the UH-NFL dispute could have implications for other universities that are considering using similar uniforms or logos that may be similar to those of professional sports teams.
