Athletics, Sports

New Balance Files Trademark Application for “4 Bounces”

An interesting trademark filing was recently made by New Balance for “4 Bounces.” The trademark application was filed the day after Kawhi Leonard hit that shot that bounced four times on the rim, then went in, sending the Toronto Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals. Taking a look at the timestamp on the application, it was filed at 1:25PM. This […]

Athletics, In The News, Industries, International, Sports

USPTO Refuses Luka Dončić’s Trademark Applications

  Luka Doncic, the potential Rookie of the Year candidate from the Dallas Mavericks, has had his trademark applications for ‘Matador’ and ‘El Matador’ denied by the Patent and Trademark Office. Luka’s trademark application was denied because there’s about a dozen other Matador trademarks that exist across a variety of goods and services that Luka applied for. In this case, […]

Athletics, Industries

How the NCAA Obtained the March Madness Trademark

   The story of how the NCAA obtained the “March Madness” trademark spans more than half a century. Back in the early 1940s, the Illinois State High School Association coined the phrase “March Madness” for its state-wide basketball tournament. This association used the phrase undisturbed for nearly 40 years, until 1982, when Brent Musburger started using the phrase on national […]

Athletics, In The News, Industries, Sports

Our Analysis of Penn State’s Happy Valley Trademark Refusal

Penn State University’s trademark application on ‘Happy Valley’ was initially refused on March 11, 2019 by the trademark office. The office action, USPTO code for refusing an application initially, was given for two main reasons. 1. The trademark office found the trademark to be geographically descriptive. As ‘Happy Valley’ is a commonly used nickname for State College, Pennsylvania, the trademark […]

Athletics, In The News, Industries, Sports

Sister Jean Trademark Application Contains Critical Errors

If you recall last year’s March Madness tournament, the Loyola University of Chicago made it to the semifinals and the team chaplain, Sister Jean, received a lot of press. Sister Jean was shown on national television often during the tournament. So, in advance of the tournament this year, Loyola University has moved to protect the name “Sister Jean” with a […]

Athletics, General, In The News, Sports

Joel Embiid’s Trademark Filing for ‘THE PROCESS’ May Soon Be Denied

  The 76ers recently had a big win at Oracle Arena, which led me to take a look at a trademark application by Joel Embiid for “The Process.” After reviewing the trademark, I have a prediction to make. This trademark application for THE PROCESS was filed by Joel Embiid back in October 2016 and it has been pending since then.  […]

Athletics, In The News, Industries, Sports

New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft has a Suspicious Trademark Registration on 19-0

Following the Super Bowl last week, I decided to look back over trademark filings the Patriots have made. In this video, I show a trademark registered by the Kraft Group LLC (presumably a company owned by Robert Kraft) for “19-0.” You’ll notice that the trademark was filed just days before the 2008 Super Bowl when the Patriots were supposed to […]

Athletics, In The News, Industries, Sports

College Football (and Trademark Enforcement) Season Has Arrived

It’s college football time again! You may be thinking, “what could college football have in common with trademark law?” Well, whenever a fan sees that colleges name and logo on a helmet or every time a fan buys a t-shirt, hat, Pop-Tarts, pacifiers and, yes, even urns and caskets, the importance and value of that college’s trademarks are on full display. […]

Athletics, In The News, Industries, Sports

Las Vegas Raiders’ Trademark Application Faces Hurdles at USPTO

Every few years a professional sports franchise starts up, moves cities, or changes names. Recently, we have welcomed the Las Vegas Golden Knights to the NHL (a brand-new team), the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL (formerly the San Diego Chargers) and the not-so-recent New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA (formerly the New Orleans Hornets.) This year, the Oakland Raiders announced […]

Athletics, In The News, Industries, Sports, The Basics, Trademark Protection

NCAA Increasingly Protective over MARCH MADNESS® Trademark

When you hear “March Madness,” it can only mean one thing: the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) National Championship Tournament. From its humble beginnings to its widely-known usage today, the NCAA’s March Madness® trademark represents a valuable asset that the NCAA fiercely protects. In fact, over 85% of the NCAA’s yearly budget comes from the advertising and marketing of its three-week […]

Athletics, In The News, Industries, Sports

New Las Vegas NHL Team’s Trademark Denied by the USPTO

In 2017, Las Vegas will launch their first-ever National Hockey League team, bringing professional hockey to Sin City. However, the team’s chosen name, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, is already on thin ice. The team’s trademark applications were denied based on pre-existing registered trademarks containing the words GOLDEN KNIGHTS. In July 2016, ESPN reported that owner Bill Foley was having trouble […]

Athletics, By Industry Type, How To's, Industries

What Do Athletes Need to Know About Registering A Trademark?

The world of sports is full of opportunities for trademarks: catchphrases, nicknames, slogans, and so on. Each of these types of words or phrases can become embedded in the consciousness of sports fans, making them prime candidates for merchandising. Those opportunities may bring with them groups of individuals or businesses who wish to try and profit from the popularity and originality […]

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