Image reproduced from 三立新聞網

Upon entering the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s Beitou Yang Ming campus, the school’s full Chinese name and its English phonetics are prominently displayed at the entrance. The merger of Chiao Tung University and Yang Ming University in 2021 led to the adoption of the abbreviated name ‘NYCU’, which received approval for use from the Ministry of Education, and was subsequently registered as a trademark in the United States. However, this abbreviation has unexpectedly sparked discussions recently.

A student from Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Chen, commented, “NYU is such a famous school, and I find it a bit silly that they sent us a letter over a name clash with the abbreviation.” Another student, Wu, shared, “Even though they are different names, NYCU and NYU are still distinct.” As discussions arose among the students, it was revealed that after ‘NYCU’ was registered, New York University filed an objection against Yang Ming Chiao Tung University during the trademark registration public display period. They claimed that the two abbreviations were too similar and that this could lead to confusion.

Lin Chi-Hung, the president of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, responded by saying, “Our Chinese name is National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and our English name is NYCU. We were initially more concerned about the City University of New York (CUNY), and they have not expressed any objections, as they feel the difference is significant.” Yang Ming Chiao Tung University emphasized that their intention in applying for the trademark in the United States is to promote global education and that they do not intend to offer university courses in the U.S. They have submitted a response to the United States Patent and Trademark Office and are now waiting for a decision.

Lawyer Gao Hong-Ming explained, “The most important aspect of a trademark is to ensure that consumers can identify the source of the product or service. NYU is a very well-known school with a high level of recognition, so it is unlikely that confusion will arise locally.” Lawyers familiar with intellectual property rights indicated that based on Taiwanese practice, the two schools’ abbreviations differ by just one letter and there have been no instances of confusion between the two institutions, which suggests that confusion is unlikely. Nevertheless, the determination will ultimately depend on U.S. trademark law.