"Early Bids" by One Dartmouth Local Sorority

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by Amy Kates

The words "Kappa Alpha Theta" and "Theta," our Greek letters, and the coat of arms are registered trademarks of Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity.

I can understand the trademarking of the words "Kappa Alpha Theta" together. But I'd be surprised if any group could trademark a particular Greek letter, any more than I could trademark the Latin/Roman letter L or the Hebrew letter א.

Originally Posted by DrPhil

The cool thing is that I Google "Theta" and the Kappa Alpha Theta website is the first result.

Same here. I'd think any GLO chapter (local or national) with the letter Theta in its name, at a campus where a Kappa Alpha Theta chapter exists, would defer to Kappa Alpha Theta and not refer to itself as "Theta" as that is Kappa Alpha Theta's internationally recognized "shorthand" name.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

I can understand the trademarking of the words "Kappa Alpha Theta" together. But I'd be surprised if any group could trademark a particular Greek letter, any more than I could trademark the Latin/Roman letter L or the Hebrew letter א.

She is not talking about the Greek letter or the use of the word "theta."

She is talking about the use of the nickname (if that's appropriate) "Thetas" in particular contexts. For instance, if a company was advertising something using "Thetas" with the intent to make people (who know about such things) think Kappa Alpha Theta is involved, there could be an issue.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

I can understand the trademarking of the words "Kappa Alpha Theta" together. But I'd be surprised if any group could trademark a particular Greek letter, any more than I could trademark the Latin/Roman letter L or the Hebrew letter א.

I could be misunderstanding you here, but the word "Theta" is, in fact, trademarked by Kappa Alpha Theta.

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield...04:ttige2.2.37

[33girl]

That's as far as actually putting it on things. I've never seen TPA sisters or sisters of any local wearing shirts that say only "Theta" on them, as Kappa Alpha Theta sisters often do.

What a group is called in day to day practice is a different matter altogether. Like I said, you can holler until you're blue in the face, and TPA at some campi will still be referred to as "Theta"...even if the sisters themselves don't use it.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by 33girl

What a group is called in day to day practice is a different matter altogether. Like I said, you can holler until you're blue in the face, and TPA at some campi will still be referred to as "Theta"...even if the sisters themselves don't use it.

Of course this is true. However, as is the case with any trademark, Kappa Alpha Theta is within its rights to require TPA to stop allowing its chapters to refer to themselves as "Theta" or face legal action, if any are doing this. Like you said, though, people are going to say what they want even if the members do not refer to themselves as such.

I'm not debating for or against the practice, I'm really just responding to what I (perhaps mistakenly) thought aephi alum was getting at.

[als463]

Originally Posted by 33girl

That's as far as actually putting it on things. I've never seen TPA sisters or sisters of any local wearing shirts that say only "Theta" on them, as Kappa Alpha Theta sisters often do.

What a group is called in day to day practice is a different matter altogether. Like I said, you can holler until you're blue in the face, and TPA at some campi will still be referred to as "Theta"...even if the sisters themselves don't use it.

It's funny you mention TPA. A few months back, I let an intern use my office while I was out. When I returned, she said, "That's cool you are a Phi Mu" (I have plaques and an NPC poster up)--"I'm a Theta." I said, "Where were you a Kappa Alpha Theta?" She looked at me and said, "No. I'm a Theta Phi Alpha from XYZ University." I was perplexed because I've never heard anyone refer to TPA as Theta.

[SoCalGirl]

Originally Posted by als463

It's funny you mention TPA. A few months back, I let an intern use my office while I was out. When I returned, she said, "That's cool you are a Phi Mu" (I have plaques and an NPC poster up)--"I'm a Theta." I said, "Where were you a Kappa Alpha Theta?" She looked at me and said, "No. I'm a Theta Phi Alpha from XYZ University." I was perplexed because I've never heard anyone refer to TPA as Theta.

I discovered one of my coworkers is a Theta and it perplexed me that she kept referring it to Kappa Alpha Theta. I just wanted to stop her and say "It's okay. I know it's THETA!"

[glittergal1985]

Originally Posted by als463

It's funny you mention TPA. A few months back, I let an intern use my office while I was out. When I returned, she said, "That's cool you are a Phi Mu" (I have plaques and an NPC poster up)--"I'm a Theta." I said, "Where were you a Kappa Alpha Theta?" She looked at me and said, "No. I'm a Theta Phi Alpha from XYZ University." I was perplexed because I've never heard anyone refer to TPA as Theta.

While members of my chapter always refer to ourselves as Theta Phi, the rest of the campus rarely calls us anything other than Theta.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by glittergal1985

While members of my chapter always refer to ourselves as Theta Phi, the rest of the campus rarely calls us anything other than Theta.

It kind of reminds me of how I sometimes hear people call us "Phi Mu" or refer to us as "Phi Mus" if there's no Phi Mu chapter on campus. Ummmm . . . No.

(And we call ourselves "Sinfonians," not "Phi Mu Alphas," though I can see why others latch on to the Greek letters instead of the Sinfonia part of our name.)

[ElieM]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

I can understand the trademarking of the words "Kappa Alpha Theta" together. But I'd be surprised if any group could trademark a particular Greek letter, any more than I could trademark the Latin/Roman letter L or the Hebrew letter א.

You could porbably trade mark both of those if you wanted to say; apply them as a brand name to clothing, or drugs, start a magazine named א

You would, however, be required to allow other companies that are already using them for other things to continue using them. It is also less likely that they would be approved and not challenged by other groups who are currently using them