It’s difficult to tell just how big of a headache this might be, but SBNation‘s Mary Clarke uncovered quite the eyebrow-raiser on Wednesday: the Vegas Golden Knights’ trademark request was rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
You can read the 164-page document here (if you’re weird), but the gist is that “registration of the applied-for mark is refused because of a likelihood of confusion with the mark” used by the College of Saint Rose Golden Knights.
Clarke summarized it simply enough:
Essentially, the logos and stylizations are too similar. It’s baffling the NHL and Vegas didn’t go through the trademark process before announcing the name and logo last month. Yet, all is not lost. Later down, the document states the Black Knight Sports and Entertainment group “may respond to the refusal by submitting evidence and arguments in support of registration.”
Sports Illustrated’s Alex Prewitt received this release from the Vegas Golden Knights, which indicated that they will respond to the refusal (and also noted how teams like the Boston Bruins and UCLA Bruins share names without issues).
There seem to be some mixed messages, at least if you note owner Bill Foley’s response to NBC Las Vegas’ Amber Dixon:
Via text, I asked team owner Bill Foley if U.S. Patent & Trademark Office denied Vegas Golden Knights application. He responded "negative."
— Amber Renee Dixon (@Amber_R_Dixon) December 8, 2016
Hmm.
This could merely be a messy issue that really doesn’t cause anything to go off track, even if people are certainly having some fun at the league and team’s expense.
The logo and other marks seem to be the biggest sticking point, so compare the two for yourself:
Wear @GoldenKnights gear TONIGHT and get a drink ticket! #BoldInGold #BornAndRaised pic.twitter.com/4gGwzuq8Ln
— BORN AND RAISED (@BornAndRaisedLV) December 7, 2016
LRT - according to that letter, here's the problem with the Vegas Golden Knights trademark application pic.twitter.com/LDWvJyfByo
— Winging It In Motown (@wingingitmotown) December 8, 2016
Again, this could all be a mild disruption, but it’s an odd situation. And, to some, a great laugh.
Related: There also might be some issues involving the Army.