Kennedy Center Withdraws ‘Trump Kennedy Center’ Trademark Applications
As workers begin stripping Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center, the institution has quietly withdrawn trademark applications seeking federal protection for ‘The Trump Kennedy Center.’
According to filings made with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, attorneys for the Kennedy Center expressly abandoned two trademark applications that had been filed in conjunction with Trump’s renaming:
The trademark applications were originally submitted in March, around the same time the institution adopted the Trump name as part of a broader rebranding effort.
The withdrawals come amid a legal battle over the renaming of the center. A federal judge recently ordered that Trump’s name be removed from the building, prompting workers to begin taking down signage associated with the change.
The decision to abandon the applications is notable because the court’s ruling remains subject to appeal. The Kennedy Center could have chosen to leave the applications pending while pursuing further legal options if it believed the name might ultimately be restored.
Instead, it elected to expressly withdraw both filings.
The move also comes with a financial cost.
The two applications carried filing fees totaling $7,000. Those fees are nonrefundable, meaning the money spent pursuing the trademark registrations will not be recovered.
While the withdrawals do not necessarily foreclose future trademark filings should circumstances change, they represent another sign that the effort to brand the venue as “The Trump Kennedy Center” is being dismantled in light of the court’s order.
For now, both the signage and the trademark applications tied to the name will disappear.
Along with the $7,000 in filing fees.
Josh Gerben, Esq.
Josh Gerben, Esq. is a nationally recognized trademark attorney and the founder of Gerben IP. Since launching the firm in 2008, he has overseen the registration of over 10,000 trademarks and handled over 1,500 trademark disputes. Josh's practice focuses on building and defending global trademark portfolios for clients. These clients include entrepreneurs, private equity-backed businesses, athletes, celebrities, and public companies. Frequently quoted by major media outlets like CNBC, CNN, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, Josh is widely regarded as a leading authority in trademark law.
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