Wyoming Tries to Wrangle its Trademarked Horse and Rider

How far should you go – geographically and legally – to protect your federally-trademarked identity? For the state of Wyoming, it means demanding that a small-town Minnesota high school discontinue using the bucking horse and rider logo it has used since 1972.

According to this story (registration required), the high school in Breckenridge, Minn., was recently contacted by Wyoming officials because the school’s identity closely resembles the logo used by the Cowboy state since 1918. The school says its logo was designed by a graduate – and it has hired an attorney to advise them on the issue.

These are sticky issues, and protecting trademarks is a serious matter, but there must be room for a compromise here. The story notes how another Minnesota school district pays Georgia Tech a dollar each year for use of its yellow jacket logo, which essentially prevents the school from profiting on the university’s logo. A similar agreement between Breckenridge and Wyoming seems appropriate.

Want to compare the logos? View the Breckenridge school’s site and the history of Wyoming’s identity.