Cambridge Rowing, run by Omar Terywall, offers beginner rowing classes on the River Cam Omar Terywall with permission for Varsity
The University of Cambridge has filed a legal challenge against the local business Cambridge Rowing Limited over their use of the name ‘Cambridge’.
Omar Terywall runs Cambridge Rowing, which provides beginner rowing lessons on the River Cam. The company started in 2021 and aims to “inspire and empower individuals of all ages and abilities to discover the joy of rowing while promoting physical fitness, mental well-being and a strong sense of community,” according to their website.
In January 2022, Cambridge Rowing applied to trademark a logo featuring a shield with a rower and the words “Cambridge Rowing.”
The University of Cambridge is opposing this application. While it doesn’t claim exclusive rights over the word ‘Cambridge’, it does hold trademarks covering its use in areas like sports camps, sports teaching, coaching, and training activities.
A ruling on this dispute is expected early this year, according to BBC News.
Terywall told the BBC that he chose the company’s name because: “It is a Cambridge rowing experience – that’s essentially it. It’s where we are and it’s what I do.”
He went on: “To take ownership of the word ‘Cambridge’ and the word ‘rowing’ – it’s bonkers. Nobody really owns the right to the word ‘Cambridge’ and nobody can say that they own the word ‘rowing’ either as well – it belongs to all of us.”
This isn’t the first time there’s been a trademark fight involving the University recently. In 2021, they stopped a brewery from using “Cambridge Blue” as a beer name. However, in 2022 ‘Cambridge Quantum Computing’ mostly won their case against them when registering their trademark; similarly with ‘Cambridge Neuro Tech’ in 2024.
Even though not every complaint succeeds fully for the University, these battles can get costly. For example, Cambridge Quantum Computing said they spent over £50,000 preparing their defense while Cambridge Neuro Tech reported £30,000 in legal fees.
Terywall told BBC he worries about how much firepower the University can throw at them: “When you’ve got a very big organisation like them coming after you, it is pretty scary.”
But Ilanah Fhima, UCL professor specializing in intellectual property law, told Varsity: “Where a trademark owner feels that a mark has been applied for that is in conflict with their mark, e. g. it is confusingly similar, it is not an act of bullying to use their legal rights and the systems that the Trade Mark Registry has put in place to oppose the registration of that mark.”
She added: “In fact, objecting to the trade mark at registration stage is preferable to bringing an infringement action after the mark is registered which will be far more costly for all parties and where using a confusing mark is more likely to be entrenched.”
Despite this ongoing dispute over trademarks, Terywall made sure Varsity knows he still respects his relationship with the University saying: “I genuinely love, admire, and respect the contributions made by the University.”
Terywall might be best known locally as founder of ‘Official Stolen Bikes in Cambridge,’ a Facebook group nearing 10k members that helps students and residents track down stolen bikes.
A spokesperson from Cambridge Uni told Varsity: “When it takes action, the University isn’t necessarily trying make companies change names; sometimes it’s just stopping any one firm from ‘owning’ or exclusively using certain names.
“If lots of companies in these areas were allowed trademarks on ‘Cambridge,’ then no one would really control it – meaning we’d lose our chance to stop misuse. That matters because without protection we couldn’t safely secure naming rights linked to big donations or prevent bad actors exploiting our name for profit.”
“We’ll always try working constructively with others who want legitimate use of our trademark.”
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