The U.S. Trademark and Patent office just shut down a bunch of trademark applications from none other than Bill Belichick and his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson!
It looks like they were trying to snag some trademarks for clothes and other stuff but the patent office said, “No way, Jose!”
According to the Patent Office, these trademarks would cause a “likelihood of confusion” due to previous filings.
As it turns out, the Pats, Belichick’s old team, hold the rights to the trademarks Hudson tried to secure back in April. These include “Do Your Job (Bill’s Version),” “Ignore the Noise (Bill’s Version),” “The Belestrator (Bill’s Version),” and “No Days Off (Bill’s Version).”
The Patriots trademarked “The Belestrator” in 2009, “Do Your Job” in 2013, while “No Days Off” and “Ignore the Noise” were both trademarked in 2017.
There’s now no love lost between Bill and the Pats. In fact, the team’s scouts have been banned from UNC on the coach’s orders.
The USPTO announced its decision last week, revealing that it rejected the requests because “it is likely consumers would be confused, mistaken or deceived as to the commercial source of the goods and/or services of the parties.”
“It was very obvious that the USPTO would refuse these applications from the start,” trademark attorney Josh Gerben said (H/T ESPN). “They’re too similar. Like, I can’t say I’m going to make ‘Nike shoes (Josh’s version).’ Once somebody has a trademark registered on a name or a phrase, you’re not able to just simply add something to it and get it registered.”
TCE Rights Management, a company associated with Belichick and Hudson, said in the application that they wanted the trademarks for clothing, audio and video streaming material, books, and media production such as films, podcasts, and DVDs.
While the requests have been refused, the UNC store has been selling some curious Jordon Hudson-themed merch this season.
According to Gerben, the Patriots would not be informed of an application featuring previously trademarked terms. Instead, the applying party would be made aware.
TCE has three months to appeal the ruling.
I guess even the former head coach of the New England Patriots can’t always get what he wants, right? But hey, I guess rules are rules, even in the world of trademarks. Who knows, maybe they’ll come up with a new plan to get their brand out there. But for now, looks like they’re back to the drawing board.
