RIDICULOUS TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT SUITS, REDUX. In the past, I have had some fun at the expense of Union Pacific, which charges model train manufacturers a royalty to use the Union Pacific emblem, or the emblems of any of the constituent companies, on rolling stock or simulations thereof. (If you ever see a cut-price 4-8+8-4 Big Boy lettered "Pennsylvania," you're looking at a royalty-evader.) The current list of registered properties includes Alton & Southern, American Refrigerator Transit, Chicago and North Western, Denver & Rio Grande, Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy), Missouri Pacific, Pacific Fruit Express, Southern Pacific, St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt), Texas & Pacific, Union Pacific, Union Pacific Fruit Express, and Western Pacific. (Apparently Chicago St. Paul Minneapolis & Omaha is still public domain, although with that fleet of new grain hoppers with CMO reporting marks roaming the Corn Belt, I'm waiting for that one to make the index, and I fully expect to see a fleet of intermodal cars with CGW reporting marks and a fleet of GCU -- do your own research, doggone it! -- boxcars within my lifetime.)

Union Pacific has company, as if the University of Wisconsin wasn't looking foolish enough already.

The University of Wisconsin wants the Waukee school district to X out its W symbol, leaving some students of the suburban Des Moines school district to ask Y.

The Waukee district adopted its purple-and-gold W a decade ago after it was told by state education officials it should not use an image of an American Indian as its school symbol. The district's mascot was the Warriors, but last year students voted to change the mascot to the Spartan Warrior.

Collegiate Licensing Co., which represents the university, sent a letter to Waukee Superintendent David Wilkerson on Sept. 20, saying Waukee's W is nearly identical to the trademarked W used by the university. Wisconsin's W is red.

That's not the first time ?isconsin has brought such a suit.

The university has pressured 20 schools to change their logos in the past three years because the logos looked too much like Wisconsin's.

What a tone-deaf way to kill buzz. Spirit clubs don't redesign their logos to resemble losers. There's a reason Milwaukee Hamilton (opened 1966) has green-and-gold uniforms.