Trademark ‘George Floyd’? Someone has filed an application for TV shows and movies
An application to trademark the name George Floyd has been filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, records show.
Munemo Mushonga, who lists a North Miami address, applied for the trademark on June 5 with the intent of using the name for TV shows and movies.
George Floyd, 46, died while in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, and his death sparked protests across the nation. He died after now-fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, as three other officers didn’t intervene.
Mushonga did not immediately respond to an email from McClatchy News on Thursday with questions about intent for using the name.
A spokesperson for Ben Crump, the Floyd family attorney, hasn’t responded to an email inquiring whether the application has any association with the family.
Trademarking a person’s name can be difficult, experts say.
To trademark a personal name, “the name, even a well-known celebrity name, must be used in connection with goods or services,” according to The National Law Review. Additionally, the applicant must show a “secondary meaning” to protect the name.
“This means that a personal name can be protected as a trademark only if the owner can prove that, through use, the name has acquired distinctiveness or made an impact on the buying public,” according to The National Law Review.
Put another way, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office can grant a person’s name as a trademark “but it only grants this level of protection to names that are widely used in commerce or are unique,” the Houston Chronicle reported.
“In most cases, a person can’t trademark his name, but other protections can help business owners protect the use of their name if it is used in association with business,” the news outlet reported.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Trademark ‘George Floyd’? Someone has filed an application for TV shows and movies."