MANILA, Nov 4, 2008 (AFP) - A Philippines court has ruled that a local clothing company breached copyright by using the name of elite US university Harvard in a logo for its jeans, according to court papers Tuesday.

The Philippine Court of Appeals denied a petition by Fredco Manufacturing Corporation which had insisted the logo "Harvard Jeans" did not infringe the official trademark of Harvard University.

The court said Harvard University was able to prove the company was using the trademark 'Harvard' and its related shield symbol way ahead of Fredco as the school had been established in 1636.

"Respondents are the actual creator of the Harvard name and symbol," the court said.

It added that "such unexplained use by petitioner Fredco of the dominant word 'Harvard' lends itself open to the suspicion of motive to trade upon the reputation of the university."

I think it isn't right to use the name of a pristige university in manufacturing a clothing line because if the company will have a bad comment from the customer then the school will also be affected. I myself think before that harvard jeans is produced by Harvard University but then it's clarified now.. And maybe if the company really want to have that name of the clothing line named after Harvard University then they have to ask permission to the school administration