Jerry Falwell Jr. has taken legal action against Liberty University, claiming that administrators are engaging in “trademark infringement” by utilizing the likeness of the late Jerry Falwell Sr. without obtaining consent from the family.
Last week, Falwell Jr. and the Falwell family trust filed a lawsuit accusing the school of appropriating the name and image of Jerry Falwell Sr., the Christian evangelist who co-founded the evangelical university in 1971 and served as president until his death at his desk in 2007.
According to the lawsuit, Liberty has repeatedly distributed advertising and promotional materials featuring the Jerry Falwell trademark, as well as the name and image of Falwell Sr. The lawsuit argues this has led to consumer confusion regarding the relationship between Liberty University and the Jerry Falwell brand and the Falwell Family Trust.
Among the claims made in the lawsuit is the school’s creation of a custom font based on Falwell Sr.’s handwriting for advertising purposes and the development of a hologram of the late evangelist. The lawsuit also raises concerns about the school’s plan to establish a Jerry Falwell Center on campus, which is seen as potentially infringing on the trademark.
This is the second lawsuit Falwell Jr. has filed against the school since he resigned as president of Liberty following a series of scandals involving his family, including allegations of his wife, Becki, engaging in a long-term sexual relationship with a pool boy.
A spokesperson for Liberty did not comment on the active lawsuit, but did offer further context. The spokesperson emphasized that Falwell Sr.’s name has been synonymous with Liberty University for decades, appearing across campus on buildings such as the Jerry Falwell Museum and the Jerry Falwell Library.
The spokesperson also alleged that the lawsuit is in response to a request made by Falwell Jr. for Liberty to pay $7 million for permission to continue using the name of the university’s founder for the next four years while granting him “total editorial control” over its usage. The school, the spokesperson stated, rejected the request.
“Liberty University is confident it will ultimately prevail in this case and the university will be able to maintain its use of the name of its founder,” the spokesperson said.
