USM Files Lawsuit against Charter School Group Alleging Trademark Infringement

The University School of Milwaukee has filed a lawsuit in federal court against one of its own board members and a nonprofit company that plans to open a charter school in the area with a similar name. 

The suit claims The Universal Companies and, Ronn Johnson, the companies' executive vice president of education for the Mid-West Region, are infringing on University School's trademarked names, including USM, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

Universal plans to open a charter school named Universal School of Milwaukee, using the shorthand name for the University School of Milwaukee, USM. The abbreviation is also on the school's logo.

University School is seeking an injunction banning Universal's use of its chosen name and of USM, withdrawal and destruction of any marketing materials using the names and triple damages, plus costs and attorney fees, the Journal reports. The suit claims Universal knew of USM's local reputation and its use of USM because Johnson is also the member of the school's Board of Trustees. 

University School, a private K-12 college preparatory school in River Hills, notes that all six of the Universal's other schools use the word charter in their names.