School’s Mardi Gras legal fallout

Macquarie Grammar School principal Darryl Gould believes his school’s decision to march in the Mardi Gras is responsible for a new legal battle between it and Macquarie University.

Eleven days after the parade, Addisons Lawyers, acting for Macquarie University, accused it of breaching their client’s intellectual property rights over the name Macquarie and demanded the revocation of the school’s existing trademarks.

Why have we been singled out when there are so many organisations that contain the word Macquarie? The annual Mardi Gras Parade is obviously very effective and affective, Gould told SSO.

Gould provided documentation to show the university had previously contracted the school for teaching student placements, without similar legal threats over the name.

Last month’s letter from Addisons Lawyers does not refer to the parade float, but does mention advertised exciting social activities on the school’s website which it said was very similar to the university’s own.

There are three social outings listed on the school’s website, Fair Day, the annual City to Surf fun run and Mardi Gras.

I don’t recall Macquarie University attending those, Gould said.

There are at least 15 education service providers in Australia that contain the word Macquarie in their name. The university filed to trademark the term for all advertising, publications, clothing and accessories on 11 March this year.

Calls to Addisons Lawyers were not returned by publication time.