A federal trademark case involving Baylor University and Boston University remains open as the schools work toward a possible settlement. Baylor’s latest court filing says it will submit an agreement dismissing the lawsuit or provide another settlement update by Oct. 9, 2026. The terms of any agreement have not been disclosed.
Baylor filed the lawsuit against Boston University’s trustees on Aug. 8, 2025, alleging trademark infringement, unfair competition and false designation of origin under the Trademark Act of 1946. Baylor told the court Sept. 9 that it expected an update within two weeks, but a Sept. 23 filing said the case was not ready for dismissal despite substantial progress.
Baylor President Linda Livingstone said the universities are working toward a resolution.
Baylor has used its logo since 1912 and sought federal registration in 1987. Boston University initially challenged that application, then agreed with Baylor that both schools could use “BU.” Boston historically displayed the letters side by side, while Baylor used an interlocked design. Boston began selling merchandise and club sports jerseys with interlocked letters in 2018.
Baylor contacted Boston in 2021, but the source said Boston continued using the design on school-sponsored and licensed products. Livingstone said trademark protection was important, though litigation was not Baylor’s original goal. Marketing professor Meredith David said the logos had existed without confusion for years, but Boston’s design could cause consumers to mistake merchandise from one school for the other.
