CNBC Speaks with Josh Gerben About WNBA’s “DETROIT SHOCK” Trademark Application

The WNBA filed a trademark application to protect “DETROIT SHOCK” as the name of a basketball team and more. The filing occurred the day before Detroit Pistons owner, Tom Gores, submitted a bid for a WNBA expansion team.

CNBC and Josh Gerben discuss the potential reasons for the trademark filing.

The “DETROIT SHOCK” trademark application is the only filing by WNBA, which owns the rights to all franchise names and logos, since early December. In other professional sports leagues, the individual teams own their own trademark filings, explained Josh Gerben.

“Circumstantial evidence would be that [Detroit’s] is a winning bid and they’re very much planning on getting this going to have filed that trademark application,” Gerben told CNBC.

However, he also notes that the trademark filing could be a way for WNBA to protect itself against “squatters” or others trying to use the name.

Source: Golden, Jess. https://www.cnbc.com. “WNBA files trademark application to bring back ‘Detroit Shock’ as city submits expansion bid”. 31 January 2025.