When the company didn't budge, Connors and his team followed through with their threat.

Though the University generally receives a call a day reporting possible misuses of its name, this case was rare because it went to trial, Calixto said.

"Most don't ever hit the lawsuit stage," Calixto said. "Eighty to Ninety percent of the folks who receive…letters and threats of lawsuits change their name."

Around when the lawsuit was filed, Harvard Negotiations did change its name--to Biomed 411. The University pressed on with case anyway in order to ensure that the company wouldn't reuse the name in the future.

Biomed never appeared in court to defend itself, and Harvard won by default.

If Biomed breaks the terms set by the court, its officers could be fined or imprisoned, according to Anthony Prenol, a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon, the Toronto-based law firm that represented Harvard.

Prenol said Harvard's name isn't often misused in Canada because people there are familiar enough with the University not to be fooled by companies who want to associate themselves with the Harvard name.