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WWE has abandoned a trademark for the term “The Collective”.
As first reported by PWInsider, WWE filed an “express abandonment” on 6/4. WWE’s filing of the name was criticized due to its prior use by Game Changer Wrestling.
By submission of this request, the applicant hereby expressly abandons the application for trademark registration made under the serial number identified above. Except as provided in 37 C.F.R Section 2.135. (concerning the commencement of an opposition, concurrent use, or interference proceeding), the fact that an application has been expressly abandoned shall not, in any proceeding in the United State Patent and Trademark Office, affect any right that the applicant may have in the mark which is the subject of the abandoned application.
HeelByNature.com has confirmed with USPTO records the abandonment was processed on Monday (6/7) morning,
On June 04, 2021, you filed a request to expressly abandon your application. Your application is now abandoned and we will take no further action on it.
WWE filed a trademark for the term last December, to be used in entertainment services.
The USPTO refused the trademark last month due to no documentation on file whether the name would be used for a particular individual. The trademark was also refused due to confusion with an existing trademark for “The Collective Experience”, which is owned by former Motocross racer David Drakes.
SUMMARY OF ISSUES:
- Inquiry Whether Mark Identifies a Particular Living Individual
- Partial Refusal – Likelihood of Confusion
The applicant applied to register the mark THE COLLECTIVE. The registered mark is THE COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE with design and with EXPERIENCE disclaimed.
In this case, the marks share the common feature THE COLLECTIVE and create the same overall commercial impressions.
In this case, the applicant’s services identified as “providing information in the fields of sports via an online community portal” are the same as, or closely related to, the registrant’s services identified as “Providing information relating to sports and sporting events.”
A few weeks after WWE’s initial filing, Game Changer Wrestling filed their own trademark for the term. That filing is still awaiting examination by the trademark office.