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Bohannan campaign to pull ad amid University of Iowa trademark dispute
University of Iowa sent campaign cease-and-desist letter
Oct. 28, 2024 5:58 pm, Updated: Oct. 29, 2024 1:33 pm
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Eastern Iowa Democratic congressional candidate Christina Bohannan’s campaign will pull a television ad amid a dispute over alleged misuse of a University of Iowa trademark.
University of Iowa General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Affairs James Jorgensen sent Bohannan’s campaign a letter Friday requesting it cease and desist from further use of the UI’s protected marks.
The letter came after an attorney for Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ campaign alerted Jorgensen’s office to an apparent unauthorized use of a university trademark by Bohannan’s campaign in a recent ad that began airing Oct. 19.
In the ad, Bohannan wears a black T-shirt with gold, all-capital lettering reading “IOWA” and the phrase “TEAM IOWA” on the back. The ad shows Bohannan — a UI law professor whose expertise is intellectual property law — running on a track and accusing Miller-Meeks of panicking voters about girls’ sports instead of focusing on tougher problems faced by Iowans.
Bohannan is running in a rematch to unseat Miller-Meeks, who is seeking a third term representing Southeast Iowa's 1st Congressional District. The 20-county district includes Iowa City, Davenport and rural Southeast Iowa.
Kelcey Patrick-Ferree, an attorney representing Christina Bohannan for Congress, replied Monday to Jorgensen’s letter disputing misuse of any registered UI trademark.
Patrick-Ferree wrote the shirt worn by Bohannan in the ad was custom-designed and does not use any trademarks, fonts, colors or styles owned by the UI. Rather, the campaign argues it created an original design of the word “Iowa” to refer to and show pride in the state as a whole; not the UI or Hawkeyes.
Patrick-Ferree wrote the Bohannan campaign is in the process of changing ad traffic “per pre-planned media schedules,” and that the TV ad in question is scheduled to be off broadcast and digital platforms at the end of Tuesday.
“I trust that this resolves this matter to the University’s satisfaction and will consider the matter closed,” she wrote.
The letter also complained of selective enforcement, noting the university’s property has been used in campaign material by other Iowa candidates numerous times, including by Miller-Meeks.
The Republican incumbent recorded a TV ad on the Iowa campus and has used the UI football stadium in campaign materials. She also filmed and disseminated campaign material wearing an official UI shirt with what appears to be the actual Iowa wordmark, and her campaign has been using #FightForIowa — an official hashtag of UI athletics — in her social media posts and lists it in her X profile.
Jorgensen, UI officials and Miller-Meeks’ campaign did not respond to messages seeking comment Monday.
“Mariannette Miller-Meeks’s claims are nothing but another political stunt to distract Iowans from her record of taking over $4 million from the special interests and doing their bidding in Washington,” Bohannan’s campaign said in a statement to The Gazette.
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
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