The State of Wyoming and the University of Wyoming established a cooperative program to protect the BH&R trademark as a result of a near devastating turn of events in the winter of 1994. At that time, it was learned that a corporation based in Beverly Hills, California attempted to federally register Wyoming's BH&R trademark. Had this federal registration been allowed to proceed unchallenged, this company would have obtained trademark rights to an image which rightfully belongs in Wyoming, on behalf of the residents of Wyoming. Fortunately, the State and the University consolidated efforts to successfully defeat this attempt to own the trademark. Now there is a licensing program which significantly reduces the risk of this occurring again. Ultimately, a cooperative program was established, which now fully protects the BH&R trademark from misuse and infringement. Without this arrangement, and consistent and unified commercial licensing of the BH&R trademark, the State of Wyoming and its citizens and the University of Wyoming would face great risk in losing ownership of this trademark. Should the State of Wyoming ever lose ownership of this mark, the new owner would have rights to curtail use of the revered BH&R trademark by Wyoming citizens.