Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Texas A&M University System has issued a cease-and-desist letter to a North Texas Muslim education entity over the unauthorized use of the Texas A&M name and trademarks.
System officials said the organization has been operating under the name “TexAM University,” which they argue infringes on and dilutes Texas A&M trademarks. The letter demands that the entity immediately stop using names, marks, domains, and branding elements associated with Texas A&M.
According to the Texas A&M University System, the use of “TexAM,” “Texas AM University,” and similar variations creates confusion and misleads the public into believing the entity is affiliated with or endorsed by Texas A&M University or the university system.
“The Texas A&M University System has a responsibility to protect the name and trademarks, which represent more than a century of academic excellence, public trust and institutional integrity,” Chancellor Glenn Hegar said in a statement. “When another organization uses branding that is similar, particularly in the same educational space, we must act to prevent confusion and protect the value of those marks.”
The organization identified in the dispute is formally known as the Texas American Muslim Institute of Technology at Dallas. Texas A&M officials said the entity is not recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as a university.
System officials said they are prepared to pursue “all necessary legal remedies” if the organization does not comply with the cease-and-desist demand.
The Texas A&M University System said it operates 12 universities, a health science center, eight state agencies, Texas A&M–Fort Worth, and the Texas A&M–RELLIS Campus. The system reports an annual budget of $8.1 billion, serves nearly 175,000 students, and conducts approximately $1.6 billion in annual research expenditures.
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