Forget about any plans you might have to appeal to Ohio State University lovers everywhere with a line of T-shirts evoking that signature grassy expanse that's something between a circle and a rectangle.

The university is claiming "The Oval" — the place name and the image, not the geometrical shape — as its own.

Seeking trademark protection is the ultimate step in brand defense, said Rick Van Brimmer, OSU's assistant vice president for trademark-licensing services. The university is moving the Oval up to that category (where Brutus Buckeye, Woody Hayes, The Shoe, Urban Meyer and the like dwell) because OSU is using it these days as a neck label on apparel and other items.

Unlike OSU's Varsity, Fan Gear and other brands, stuff sold with The Oval label is marketed mainly to central Ohioans.

Van Brimmer said U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approval of a trademark request typically takes about a year.

Owning a trademark prevents anyone from making money off a trademarked image or phrase without the owner's agreement.

Ohio State hasn't relied on its big name alone to scare off pirates. In November, it sued online retailer CafePress in federal court, alleging that the company made and sold counterfeit Urban Meyer T-shirts and other items.

In 2015, the university sued Cincinnati's Horseshoe Casino for attempting to register "The Shoe" as the name of a concert venue. That fight probably is over because the casino owner, Rock Gaming, rebranded itself in June as Jack Entertainment and the casino became known as Jack Cincinnati Casino. Its website does not mention The Shoe.

When it comes to special OSU places, the Oval is right up there with Ohio Stadium, the horseshoe-shaped object of that now-defunct trademark fight. When Provost Bruce McPheron told university trustees last fall about a plan to renovate Mirror Lake, he described its importance thusly:

"When people think of the Ohio State campus, Mirror Lake and the Oval — along with the stadium — those are the primary things people think of."

When Van Brimmer starts talking about protecting the Mirror Lake label with a trademark, we'll know it has reached the big time.

mcedward@dispatch.com

@MaryMoganEdward