The late Muhammad Ali, a famed professional American boxer and campaigner, had a trademark application submitted to protect his name accepted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Late in 2021, the USPTO received Ali’s metaverse and NFT trademark application.
The late Muhammad Ali’s name has now been formally registered as a trademark under the United States Registration No. 6881575, which was granted on October 18. This was verified by Mike Kundoudis, an intellectual property lawyer, in a blog post on October 19th.
It’s Official!
MUHAMMAD ALI is now a registered trademark.
U.S. Registration No. 6881575 issued on October 18th and covers:
🥊 NFT-authenticated media featuring Ali
🥊 Virtual clothing, footwear, headwear
🥊 Sports bags + equipment#MuhammadAli #NFT #NFTs #Metaverse #Web3 pic.twitter.com/nhswECpXUi— Mike Kondoudis (@KondoudisLaw) October 19, 2022
Now that Muhammad Ali’s name has been registered officially
Muhammad Ali’s name is now protected in the cryptosphere for non-fungible coins and virtual products in the metaverse, claims Kondoudis. The registered brand will encompass NFT-authenticated material that includes Ali, as well as virtual apparel, accessories, and sporting goods.
Today, Muhammad Ali, often known by the moniker “The Greatest,” is considered as one of the most important athletes of the 20th century. In a recent, exclusive interview, Kondoudis made the following statement on his recently granted trademark application:
“This registration was examined and approved in less than a year, which is fairly quick by USPTO standards. We expect the same results for applications for other celebrity names. It also offers a blueprint for protecting celebrity names and brands as they transition into the metaverse.”
He added:
“We expect this trend of celebrity Web3 trademarks to continue as more celebrities come to recognize the need for brand protection in the metaverse.”
Celebrities Overrun the NFT Sector
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has seen a rise in public personalities and celebrities encouraging to join the NFT business during the last several months. Famous singer and actress Miley Cyrus registered her name as a trademark for the metaverse and NFT in September. Cyrus planned to include virtual beverages, apparel, entertainment, and software for managing currencies.
Global performer Christina Aguilera submitted a trademark application for NFT and metaverse last month. She intended to introduce NFTs + NFT-backed media, cryptocurrency collectibles, entertainment services in the metaverse, virtual apparel, jewelry, and cosmetics.
Professional basketball player Kevin Durant, football great Sergio Kun Aguero, professional football star Cristiano Ronaldo, well-known singer and songwriter Madonna, former professional boxer Mike Tyson, and pop singer Snoop Dogg are just a few of the notable people who have already entered the NFT space.
Thanks to Dominic Kimani at Business 2 Community whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.
