Pro Wrestling Trademark Roundup: WWE Star Applies To Trademark His Name, More Recent Filings
As previously noted, All Elite Wrestling applied for a trademark for the phrase 'Change The Universe' on January 17, 2019. Of course, AEW's big free agent acquisition, Chris Jericho, closed the January 8, 2019 rally declaring that AEW would not only change the world, as former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega would say, but also change the universe.
Also of note, WWE Superstar and all around good brother Karl Anderson applied to trademark his ring name on January 18, 2019 for wrestling and merchandise use. WWE started their application to trademark the name in April 2016 but the application was abandoned in October 2018 after they did not respond to a USPTO request for action inside the required time frame. WWE applied to revive the application on Tuesday of this week and that was accepted.
Speaking of the good brothers, WWE applied to trademark "Botch Club With Gallows And Anderson in December 2018.
December 2018 saw a flurry of other professional wrestling trademark applications. Here is a quick look back at some of the more noteworthy filings:
On December 18, 2018, DJIIP, LLC, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's business entity, applied for the trademark "Dwayne Johnson Training" for fitness training products such as athletic clothing, jewelry, yoga mats, gym bags, and even health clubs.
WWE applied for trademarks for a couple of its new programs, "WWE Kitchen SmackDown!" and "Fashion Files: Cold Case Unit" on December 19, 2018.
In December 2018, Flip Gordon applied to trademark his ring name using the same attorney of record that Killing The Business, Inc. used to trademark "Young Bucks" and 'Hangman' Adam Page used to trademark his ring name.
Also of note, MLW applied for the "Hart Foundation" trademark for its stable of Davey Boy Smith, Jr., Teddy Hart, and Brian Pillman, Jr. Time will tell if WWE, which housed the original Hart Foundation, attempts to stand in MLW's way of securing the property.
Along these lines, North Carolina State University applied to get the trademark for "Wolfpack" for sports and entertainment purposes. WWE with its nWo properties may be interested in contesting the mark when it is published for opposition on January 29, 2019.
Similarly, a foreign applicant has applied for the trademark "Knockout Sportswear" in part for "clothing for wear in wrestling games". It will be interesting to see if Impact Wrestling, which refers to its female talent as Knockouts, will oppose this filing.
Marc Middleton contributed to this article.