AUSTIN, Texas–The non-profit Amplify Austin and Amplify FCU are in a trademark dispute.
Amplify Austin, which conducts the annual “I Live Here, I Give Here” fundraising drive, said it opposes an effort by the credit union to trademark the Amplify brand for philanthropic purposes, according to the Austin Business Journal.
Amplify Austin said it has filed its own trademark application with the state of Texas and plans to re-file federal trademark paperwork.
The Austin Business Journal quoted a spokesperson for “I Live Here, I Give Here” as saying it had to make the move to ensure the continued use of the term "amplify" for the annual fundraising blitz, which the group claims has generated $24.7 million in charitable giving since it was launched in 2012.
According to the Austin Business Journal, in 2015 the nonprofit group submitted a federal trademark application for use of the term "amplify" for charitable purposes, but Amplify Federal Credit Union filed a formal objection and the nonprofit withdrew its application to pursue negotiations.
The Austin Business Journal quoted Amplify FCU’s CEO, Paul Trylko, as saying the CU’s use of the Amplify trademark for charitable causes predates “I Live Here, I Give Here's” usage, dating as far back as 2009.
But Trylko said the two organizations are also working to come to some “amicable agreement.”