Team name trademarked???

S

Smokering23

Guest
Hello - I entered 4 competitions last year and had a lot of fun doing so. I'm getting some feedback through friends and family that I should expand my effort and thought it might make sense to trademark the team brand. Just curios if anyone has trademarked their BBQ competition team name. Could you share your ideas on trademarking or similar? Should I be afraid of someone ripping off my logo/name etc?
Thank you,
Erik
 
What are your concerns?

If you are selling a product with your brand, and it's really popular (Is your team name "Butcher BBQ" or "The BBQ Guru" ?) then yes. Otherwise, no need. A BBQ team name doesn't have any commercial value if you are not selling products.

At least with KCBS, once you cook under a team name, it's locked in. Other people can't use the same name. That is mainly what people worry about. If you aren't turning it into a business, don't worry about it.

(You can always name your team something like ZBQ so nobody will steal it: "What does that mean anyway?" "What do you mean you don't know?" "Oh, I see they are giving out those 120 team boxes in alphabetical order again." :becky: )
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I guess I was worried someone would steal our name/logo. I've only done one KCBS amateur event, does that mean I am "locked in" with team name with KCBS?
Thanks a bunch!
Erik
 
Smokering23 said:
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I guess I was worried someone would steal our name/logo. I've only done one KCBS amateur event, does that mean I am "locked in" with team name with KCBS?
Thanks a bunch!
Erik
Click to expand...
Just curious what your team name is, and if you did a thorough search to see if it was already being used by someone else.
 
For those that did trade mark. How much did it cost and were the steps you had to take to trade mark you name and logo?
 
Trademarks sound nice, but unless you are a large company paying attorneys to defend its name...

Your trademark doesn't mean anything to anyone if they want to use it in the business world.

You will be paying thru your bbq to defend it.

Use any name you want for commercial purposes. It's up to them and their money to defend it. You also could trademark any name that is already trademarked.....register in a different category and see what happens.

For bbq comps......i think anyone would want to use an authentic name.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Smokering23 said:
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I guess I was worried someone would steal our name/logo. I've only done one KCBS amateur event, does that mean I am "locked in" with team name with KCBS?
Thanks a bunch!
Erik
Click to expand...

No. You can cook under another name if you want. It just means that if someone tries to use your exact name, they can't, or at least you can complain and force them to change their name if the do. That said, the name doesn't have to change by much.

"Smoke Up Your Butt BBQ"

"KC's Smoke Up Your Butt"

"Smoke Up Your Butt, Farker City, NJ"

...are all different team names.
 
CBQ said:
No. You can cook under another name if you want. It just means that if someone tries to use your exact name, they can't, or at least you can complain and force them to change their name if the do. That said, the name doesn't have to change by much.

"Smoke Up Your Butt BBQ"

"KC's Smoke Up Your Butt"

"Smoke Up Your Butt, Farker City, NJ"

...are all different team names.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the insight. We have a name and logo(shirts, banners, etc) and I don't want to cook under another name. I was concerned someone would steal our name/logo and trademark it and beat me to it if I didn't. I like the fact that if I use in KCBS comp nobody else can. I agree with the earlier point of not spending the money unless I plan to sell product. Thanks again for all the help everyone!
 
I personally wouldn't spend the money on trademarking but then again who else is gonna use "Two Fat Polocks BBQ Team".
 
CBQ said:
(You can always name your team something like ZBQ so nobody will steal it: "What does that mean anyway?" "What do you mean you don't know?" "Oh, I see they are giving out those 120 team boxes in alphabetical order again." :becky: )
Click to expand...

Just don't put the word "The" in front of it either...
Had we thought about the implications of those three letters, we would have stuck with 5th Artery...
 
This is from a purely business perspective. If you have any inkling of a desire to use the name for a business then spend the money to trademark it. You can do it yourself through the trademark and patent office. It's not that expensive. In my experience it does serve as a deterrent. Our trademarked brands don't get messed with. I have a couple that I didn't trademark and have several competitors using the names in various ways. I've got precedent and could likely get the mark and make them stop, but it would be a much bigger pain to do it now.

One other thing I would add to that is use as unique of a name as you can because that will make it easier to protect.
 
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