The University of Maryland is threatening legal action against a Colorado cannabis product maker over its “Terps USA” name.
It says the name could mislead consumers and demands the company abandon the trademark within 30 days. The school warned that continued use could damage its brand reputation.
University Threatens Legal Action Over ‘Terps USA’ Trademark
Ken Fry, owner of the company that sells terpenes, said the university is demanding surrender of its registered trademark after seven years in business. He argued the school lacks legal grounds to force a name change.
Janet Benson Forville, senior associate general counsel for the university, said the TERPS marks are a valuable state asset and that ongoing use would harm its goodwill. She warned that the university will pursue litigation if the demand is not met.
Forville set a 30‑day deadline, stating the university’s counsel is prepared to take remedial legal action if the dispute is not resolved. The warning was sent in a cease‑and‑desist letter dated July 24.
Fry questioned how a business can completely overhaul its branding and identity in a month. He called the timeline unrealistic and said the company cannot rebrand that quickly.
Fry’s attorney noted the university’s federal trademark filing for “Terps” lapsed three years ago, with the latest filing occurring in June. The registration was allowed to expire before the university renewed it.
Fry said the company remains open to dialogue and is solution‑oriented. It does not want to cause problems for the university or its customers.
WTOP has reached out to the University of Maryland for comment, but no response has been received yet. The university has not yet commented on the cease‑and‑desist demand.
