IP Law Daily, TRADEMARK NEWS: William and Mary University sues WM Symposia for trademark infringement, (Aug 15, 2025)

By Carolin Dennis, B.Sc., LL.B., LL.M.

The complaint alleges that WM Symposia wilfully violated William and Mary’s trademark rights in its famous “WM” marks and has been rapidly expanding its violations.

The College of William and Mary in Virginia (WM or the University) filed a complaint against W M Symposia, Inc. (WM Symposia) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to stop WM Symposia’s wilful infringement, unfair competition, false designation of origin, and dilution of the famous “WM” trademarks through its adoption of new Infringing marks. WM seeks preliminary and permanent injunctive relief as well as monetary damages, and cancellation of WM Symposia's federal trademark registrations (College of William and Mary in Virginia v. W M Symposia, Inc., No. 4:25-cv-00094-JKW-DEM (E.D. Va. filed Aug. 8, 2025)).

WM is the second oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, well known throughout the world not only for its internationally recognized educational programs, but also for its storied place in American history. WM is “one of America’s most treasured, widely recognized, and prestigious universities,” and it has been recognized by and discussed across the nation and around the world using its WM Marks for more than three centuries, according to the complaint. WM owns several trademark registrations for several stylized marks featuring the letters “W&M” and common law rights in the word marks WM and W&M, as well as several other WM or W&M Design marks and logos due to WM’s longstanding use (collectively referred to as “WM Marks”).

The WM Marks have been used to identify and promote WM’s academic and athletic programs in national media, on merchandise and consumer goods purchased by the public all across the country, in connection with WM’s highly valuable research endeavors and partnerships, to market its students to prospective employers, and to engage with WM’s international network of alumni and supporters, the complaint states. Additionally, WM intentionally and prominently features WM on materials that advertise the University to prospective students across the United Stated and internationally, including on marketing materials sent to high school students and counselors nationwide.

WM Symposia is an Arizona-based nonprofit corporation that holds itself out to the public as an “organization dedicated to providing education and information exchange” through symposiums, conferences, workshops, and other educational programming. WM Symposia offers these education and information exchange related services in connection with a rapidly expanding family of WM-formative marks, including but not limited WM, WM STEM, WM STEM & Design, WM STEM EDUCATORS’ COUNCIL & Design, WM SYMPOSIA, and WM SYMPOSIA & Design (collectively with all other uses of WM by WM Symposia, the Infringing Marks) through, among other channels, webpages hosted at a WM-formative domain name.

According to the complaint, despite WM’s colonial-era priority and the significant recognizability and goodwill embodied in its famous WM brand and trademarks, W M Symposia is wilfully infringing on the famous WM Marks through a path of escalating infringement that involves WM Symposia’s adoption, use, and attempts to register a series of WM-formative marks in connection with the provision of educational services.

WM contended that the WM Symposia Registration completely subsumes the dominant WM element of WM’s famous WM Marks, and all the WM Symposia Registration’s services both originally and as presently registered are identical to, related to, or well within the zone of natural expansion of WM’s services and offerings. Therefore, WM Symposia’s registration of and use of the WM Symposia Registration is likely to cause consumer confusion, mistake, and/or deception as to the source origin, affiliation, sponsorship, or other relationship between WM Symposia on the one hand, and WM and its good and services on the other hand. Further, that likelihood of confusion is exacerbated by the fact that the WM Symposia Registration is not limited in channels of trade and does not include a claim to any particular color. WM claimed that this would seemingly permit WM Symposia to use the WM Symposia Registration in a confusingly similar color scheme to the green and gold that has been used by WM for many decades in connection with its services, brand, and its WM Marks, further contributing to the likelihood of confusion and dilution of WM’s famous Marks.

Claims, remedies sought. WM is seeking a jury trial and asserts five causes of action: (1) federal trademark infringement, (2) federal unfair competition and false designation of origin, (3) federal trademark dilution, (4) cancellation of the WM Symposia Registration, and (5) common law unfair competition and false designation of origin.

Among other relief, WM asks the Court to preliminarily and permanently enjoin and restrain WM Symposia from: advertising, marketing, promoting, offering for sale, selling, or distributing any good or service in connection with the Infringing Marks or any other mark confusingly similar to the WM Marks; committing any other acts of trademark infringement, trademark dilution, unfair competition, and from implying a false designation of origin or a false description or representation with respect to the famous WM Marks; using in any manner any trademark, name, logo, design, or source designation of any kind on or in connection with WM Symposia’s goods or services that is likely to cause confusion, mistake, deception, or public misunderstanding that such goods or services are produced or provided by WM, or are sponsored or authorized by WM, or are in any way connected or related to WM; and using in any manner any labels, signs, literature, Internet websites, or advertising, or promotional materials, or other materials bearing the Infringing Marks or any other marks, words, or names that are confusingly similar to the famous WM Marks.

WM also seeks damages, profits made by WM Symposia from the infringement, costs, including legal expenses, and any other relief as the court may deem appropriate.

The Case is No. 4:25-cv-00094-JKW-DEM.

Judge: Walker, J.

Attorneys: Amanda Lee DeFord (McGuireWoods LLP) for The College of William and Mary in Virginia.

Companies: The College of William and Mary in Virginia; W M Symposia, Inc.

News: Trademark VirginiaNews