Bill Belichick Files 17 Trademarks in Apparent Bid to Reclaim Patriots-Era Brand

By Josh Gerben, Esq.

Published: April 16, 2025
Modified: July 3, 2025 Published: April 16, 2025 | Modified: July 3, 2025

April 16, 2025 — Is a trademark turf war brewing in New England? 

Bill Belichick and his girlfriend have filed 17 new trademark applications—many of which overlap with slogans owned by the Patriots. 

The applications were filed by TCE Rights Management, LLC between March 29 and April 3. The LLC lists Belicheck’s girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, as the manager of the company. The specific trademarks Bill and his girlfriend are seeking are:

Belichick’s New Trademark Filings

As you probably noted in the list, several of the applications include the addition of “(Bill’s Version).”

Why?

The New England Patriots organization already owns some of these trademarks. Inserting “Bill’s Version” appears to be Belichick’s attempt to take a page from Taylor Swift’s IP strategy—where she re-recorded her songs and labeled them as “Taylor’s Version” to reclaim copyright control. But there’s a critical difference: copyright law allows for that type of reset. Trademark law does not.

Adding “Bill’s Version” will not sidestep the Patriots’ existing rights. Trademark law prohibits registering marks that are confusingly similar to existing ones—especially when used for similar goods. As a result, these applications are almost certain to face USPTO refusals unless the Patriots choose to abandon their marks or agree to step aside and let Bill take ownership of the trademarks.

This sets the stage for a trademark showdown between Belichick and his former boss, Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Patriots’ vs. Belichick’s Trademark Filings

In another eyebrow-raising move, the trademark applications were filed under an entity called TCE Rights Management, LLC. The name closely mirrors TAS Rights Management, LLC the company Taylor Swift uses to hold her own trademarks. TCE is believed to stand for “Trouble Cub Enterprises”—a moniker that remains unexplained.

Beyond the legal hurdles, the trademark filings reflect a significant investment. Belichick paid over $40,000 in government filing fees to make the filings, with legal fees likely matching or exceeding that figure.

If Belichick clears the USPTO’s review process, he’ll still face another hurdle: proving use of the marks. The USPTO will only grant these registrations if Bill and his girlfriend make “commercial use” of the trademarks for all the goods and services listed in the applications. In this case, the applications were filed for a wide range of categories—including keychains, apparel, television shows, biographies, and documentaries.

In practice, that would require launching an expansive merchandise and media operation to support the marks. And while Belichick is no stranger to managing complex teams, executing the use of all of these trademarks for all the goods and services claims in the applications would be a tall order.

At its core, the trademark filings highlight a growing trend: celebrities and public figures seeking to control and commercialize their legacy through intellectual property. Whether Belichick’s strategy proves successful remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure—he’s going to have to go through Robert Kraft to get many of these trademarks registered.

How is that going to go? 

Stay tuned.

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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.