A linguist weighs in on Ohio State University’s trademark on the word “the”

The Ohio State University has successfully trademarked the word “the.” The ruling is a culmination of the university’s three-year legal campaign, which involved negotiating a settlement with fashion house Marc Jacobs, that had held trademark to the word. Ohio State challenged Marc Jacobs’s trademark to protect its licensing business that generates an average of $12.5 million each year.