Cisco sued over 'Tomorrow Starts Here' advertising campaign
updated 11:29 am EST, Fri January 11, 2013
East Carolina University claims trademark infringed by Cisco
Cisco is being sued for trademark infringement over one of its marketing campaigns. East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina has announced the start of legal proceedings in a federal court, over the use of the slogan 'Tomorrow Starts Here' in a Cisco campaign shown on television, print publications, augmented reality, and also online.
The ECU claims that the campaign's use of the phrase infringes common law and federally registered trademark rights, according to All Things D, with the university also pointing out an overlap between services offered by Cisco and it's own technology and computer science initiatives that are being commercialized.
The 105-year-old public university says it has used the mark 'Tomorrow Starts Here' for over a decade, in advertisements and in print. ECU chancellor Steve Ballard felt it is "essential to take action to protect that defining trademark of our identity and vision."
Cisco has been contacted for comment.
