More college football players are "starting to snatch up trademark rights to their names, nicknames and fan slogans," according to Collin Binkley of the AP. The NCAA "generally forbids its players from cashing in on their athletic success, but by gaining legal ownership of phrases tied to their personal brands, players can pave the way for lucrative licensing deals in the future and can prevent others from exploiting their names." Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott this month "applied for trademarks to use his nicknames 'Zeke' and 'Eze' on merchandise." He also "filed for a trademark on the restaurant name 'Zeke's Crop Top Bar and Grill,' a nod to the junior's preference to roll his jersey up like a crop top." Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott "applied for the trademark on his name last fall, along with 'Dak Attack' and 'Who Dak.'" As the practice of trademarking one's name "has become more common in the pros, some universities and lawyers are encouraging college athletes to follow suit." Trademark Company CEO Matthew Swyers, whose firm helped Elliott submit his applications, said that college athletes with trademarks "will be one step ahead when they start pursuing licensing deals after school." Specifically, the athletes are "asking for the legal right to sell a wide range of merchandise branded with their names, from jerseys and hats to toddler onesies." Prescott said, "I'm not doing anything with them now, but when I get done playing in college, I have the option." Although experts said that the practice is growing, it is "mostly limited to a small group of big-name athletes" (AP, 8/27).
TIME KEEPS ON SLIPPIN': ESPN's Darren Rovell last week reported the Cowboys filed to trademark the phrase, "How 'Bout Them Cowboys," a phrase first used in '93 by then-coach Jimmy Johnson. The DALLAS MORNING NEWS asked, "Does it seem strange the Cowboys waited so long to try and trademark the iconic phrase?" (DALLASNEWS.com, 8/26).
