College Bookstore Refuses to Sell Male Pinup Calendar Over Possible Trademark Infringement

College Bookstore Refuses to Carry Male Pinup Calendar Over Possible Trademark Infringement

OSU Won't Peddle Calendar of Men

Ohio State University bookstores, which sell Playboy and Playgirl magazines, have banned a 1989 calendar featuring mostly bare-chested OSU men, many in provocative poses.

Sean Ashbrook, 21, the calendar producer and a senior from Akron, said he decided to create the calendar as a test of his business and marketing skills.

`I just happened to notice that a lot of people had calendars, like guys had Sports Illustrated ones, and I thought it would be a good idea,' Ashbrook said.``From the research I did, I found that women complained that .......(calendars) weren't suitable to their tastes, meaning they didn't show enough skin,' Ashbrook said. He said he received about 200 photographs of men and women interested in appearing in separate calendars after he ran advertisements in the campus newspaper and a magazine. He also sent direct mailings to students.

The 13 male finalists were photographed for the calendar, but when it came time to shoot the women, legal problems with the university began and Ashbrook dropped the women's calendar. `The university has given me such a hard time. You would think they would foster industry and enterprise,' he said. Although the calendar is banned from OSU bookstores, it is available at other Columbus-area bookstores for $6.95. Ashbrook said he was working to put the calendar on bookstore shelves in other parts of the state. His goal, he said, is to break even, which would mean making $15,000 to $16,000 from the project. The students were not paid to model.

Michael Jablonski, featured on March pages, is photographed once in jeans sitting on a motorcycle and in another photo wearing a swimsuit and showering. Jablonski, 24, a North Olmsted sophomore, said he welcomed the publicity because he wants to be a professional model or actor. `And it was fun,' he said. `A lot of women say, `Oh, aren't you the guy in the calendar?' `

The calendar has been a sore point for several months with university officials, who threatened legal action last spring against the calendar's producer unless all references to OSU were dropped.

Anne Chasser, director of the university's licensing office, said the calendar's original name of `Men of OSU' was unauthorized use of the school's registered trademark. She said the university approved use of its name `only if it's a reputable company and in good taste. We decided it was not appropriate for the university to endorse a pinup calendar.'

When the calendar's name was changed to `Images: Men of the Scarlet and Gray,' the Ohio State colors, the university decided to drop legal action, even though the calendar included other references to the university.