East Carolina University announced Friday that it has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Cisco Systems, Inc. over the phrase "Tomorrow Starts Here."
ECU says it's seeking injunctive relief and damages for Cisco's unauthorized use of the phrase, which is a federally registered trademark of the university in Greenville.
"ECU has used the mark 'Tomorrow Starts Here' for over a decade, including in national advertisements and publications such as Forbes and Wired," said Chancellor Steve Ballard. "We feel it is essential to take action to protect that defining trademark of our identity and vision."
According to ECU, Cisco started using the slogan "Tomorrow Starts here" in an advertising campaign that launched last month.
In a statement to WITN, Cisco says it was surprised to learn ECU filed the complaint. "Cisco takes intellectual property rights very seriously, and we are confident that our new campaign does not create any confusion in the marketplace."
