With the approaching advent of the new decade, there comes a time for reflection. TramaTM, a global provider of trademark registration and brand protection services, has compiled a list of 20 most interesting trademarks in the last 20 years. We certainly hope it will inspire your future brand protection efforts, ensuring that the uniqueness of your brand is well-protected.
#1 Make America great again
Let us start with the soon ex-president of the United States, Mr Donald Trump. Make America great again has become a symbol of his presidential campaign and it is not surprising that in August 2016, Mr Donald Trump successfully registered this trademark. For the sake of all our current and future clients in the US, as well as the general public of this nation, TramaTM certainly hopes that this trademark will not discourage the new president Joe Biden from making America great again.
#2 You’re fired
Following his inauguration into the presidential office, Mr Donald Trump gave a new dimension to the phrase “You’re fired” that initially appeared on the reality show Apprentice. The list of who got fired goes on and on, ending with the man himself who is about to be replaced in his seat. This trademark attempt was abandoned in 2006 following a series of oppositions, emphasising the need to look beyond generic catch phrases to make a successful trademark application.
#3 Kimono
Speaking of generic terms, Kim Kardashian took it to a whole new level with her attempt to trademark Kimono. After strong criticism for her lack of respect and appropriation of the Japanese culture, Kim Kardashian abandoned this attempt in 2019 and rebranded her fashion line to Skims. Once again, and we cannot emphasise this enough, please think about brand protection from the very start of your entrepreneurial intentions and avoid unnecessary costs of rebranding. Team TramaTM is here to help you do so.
#4 That’s hot
In 2014, Paris Hilton declared herself an authority for judging what’s hot. The phrase “that’s hot” has been successfully registered. And by the sound of it, there are few more interesting trademark attempts that we can expected in the upcoming years from Paris Hilton.
#5 Usain Bolt’s “Lightning pose”
World-class athletes do not fall behind politicians and celebrities in their trademark efforts. Usain Bolt has successfully registered his renown “lightning pose” in 2012 and has used it ever since in all major competitions.
#6 Mo Farah’s “Mobot”
Admittedly inspired by Usain Bolt, Mo Farah created his own mark that certainly makes him stand out from the crowd, registering it in 2013.
#7 Blue Ivy Carter, daughter of Beyonce and Jay Z
It seems that Beyonce and Jay Z are not too much into sharing, the proof of which is their daughter Blue Ivy Carter whose name was already registered by her parents. Blue Ivy Carter is destined for greatness and although she is only 8 years old, a new fashion line in her name is in the works. For all of you that were considering this name for your child, there’s no reason to be alarmed, trademark application by Beyonce does not prevent you from picking this name. It may just be harder to start own fashion line with the trademark taken.
#8 Let’s play
A widely publicised case of “Let’s play” trademark attempt involves Sony that sought to declare an authority on this popular concept in the gaming community. Due to the generic nature of the term, the trademark efforts were abandoned in 2016 and all gamers can use it freely in their activities.
#9 Black Friday
Black Friday is a US-based concept of holding sales on the next Friday following the Thanksgiving Day. Inspired by the turnout of shoppers, retailers across the world have replicated this marketing strategy and the term Black Friday has virtually become a synonym for sale. An interesting case rages however in Germany where Black Friday has been registered in 2020, effectively preventing retailers from relying on the so-called global tradition.
#10 The most interesting man in the world
Have you ever wondered who’s the most interesting man in the world? Well, based on the trademark application from October 2020 it may seem that it is Jonathan Goldsmith, the face of Dos Equis beer commercials.
#11 Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga is one of the classics for wasting time while at work. What is even more interesting is that the successful registration from 2012 effectively prevents the use of “saga” word in any other gaming-related content.
#12 Fucking hell
The picturesque town of Fucking, located in Germany, has attracted a substantial amount of attention that was not necessarily desired. Tourists often found its name hilarious, taking pictures with the town post and often even taking the town posts as a souvenir. This unwanted attention has driven public support for the change of the town’s name to Fugging. Its beer, Fucking Hell, may follow the same approach but for now, its successful registration from 2010 stands.
#13 Superheroes
What does Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther and Deadpool have in common? They’re all registered trademarks of Marvel. Protection endeavours by Marvel were taken a step further in 2007 when the company registered “Superheroes”, meaning that any other vigilantes and heroes created by Marvel’s competitors can no longer be called superheroes.
#14 Človek človeku
Although TramaTM has become a truly global provider of trademark registration and brand protection services, we do not forget our roots that tie us to a lovely country located in Central Europe called Slovak Republic. That’s why we’ve decided to include one trademark from this country. Mr Andrej Danko is a former Member of the Parliament who is renown for his inclination towards a good drink and incoherence that has spurred broad fan base. Literal translation of his most renown phrase that maybe even the author himself is left unsure of what he actually meant by it, would be “no one can give so much love as a man to a man”. Hats off to Mr Andrej Danko for moving beyond denial, anger, bargaining and depression, and coming up with a way to capitalise on his incoherence.
#15 Microsoft Spynet
Microsoft, and its founder Bill Gates in particular, have been at the centre of numerous conspiracy theories. Some of the latest tied Bill Gates with the development of Covid-19 vaccines, implying that it is just a way for Bill Gates to insert a microchip into all human beings and thus track their movements. In fact, recent surveys revealed that up to 50% of all Americans that consider Fox News as their primary source of news believe this debunked conspiracy theory. In the light of these developments, it is interesting to see that Microsoft’s trademark of “Spynet” registered in 2006 has been left to expire. Seems that Bill Gates is not interested in tracking our movements after all.
#16 App Store
The last two decades are generally recognised as the hallmark of ICT. Apple corporation has led the way with the introduction of iPod, iPhone and iPad. Since 2009, Apple corporation holds a registered trademark on its “App Store”, claiming ownership over this retail channel as well.
#17 Google
The origins of Google can be traced back to 1996 however it was not until the 21st century when the company has achieved global dominance in online search. “To Google” has been included in Merriam-Webster dictionary and has become a part of the daily language. The commercial use of this word is however protected since 2005.
#18 Tweet
The same goes for the term “tweet” that has become a part of the contemporary culture. While Twitter has successfully registered its tweet term in the EU in 2011, its efforts to achieve global recognition of this trademark have been more perilous and we are yet to see the full outcomes.
#19 Face(book)
Can someone register a trademark on something as ordinary as a term “face”? The answer is yes and no. While the general rules for trademark applications clearly stipulate the condition of non-generic words, an exception in the form of acquired distinctiveness has allowed Facebook to register this word in the context of telecommunication services.
#20 Je suis charlie
We have witnessed numerous amazing brands that emerged in the last two decades but it wasn’t all perfect in the last 20 years. In 2015, the world was shocked by a shooting that took place in Paris. A global effort to show sympathy and support resulted in the “je suis Charlie” movement. Building on this awareness of the phrase, several trademark efforts have been detected that sought to register the rights to use “je suis Charlie” phrase. Without naming the companies, this is a clear sign that popularity brings greed. In addition to the moral dimension of this story, the lesson learnt for brand protection revolves around the need for expert advice and guidance not only to ensure the uniqueness of a brand but also to ensure that you don’t spend time, resources and efforts on seeking trademark protection for marks that cannot be registered.
Do you have a brand that deserves protection? Let us help you safeguard its uniqueness and benefit from:
- Strong expertise: We’ve verified over 1 000 marks with 100% successful registration rate. Let us take care of yours as well — with a money-back guarantee.
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It’s never too early to start protecting the uniqueness of your brand. Find out more on tramatm.com.
