English Premier League Files Crypto and NFT Trademarks

By Phil Stafford June 09, 2022 In Crypto News, NFTs, Sports

The English Premier League (EPL), the British nation’s top tier of professional football, has filed two cryptocurrency and NFT-related trademark applications in the US, as announced this week in a tweet from licensed American trademark lawyer Michael Kondoudis:

The Premier League has filed 2 US trademark applications for
▶️ NFTs, cryptocurrencies, digital tokens + collectibles
▶️ Digital asset trading
▶️ Financial and crypto services
▶️ Virtual clothing, footwear, and sports gear#NFTs #Metaverse #Cryptocurrencies #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/1tPOU0dIOp
— Mike Kondoudis (@KondoudisLaw) June 6, 2022

Of the two filings lodged with the US Patent and Trademark Office, one is the EPL logo of a “lion wearing a crown in three-quarter view”, while the other is a “loving cup trophy” with lions on each handle and topped with a crown. Each covers the creation and sale of digital assets, virtual clothing, cryptocurrencies, and media files verified by NFTs. They also include the use of Premier League trademarks in “virtual, augmented, and mixed reality software”.

The EPL “loving cup” trophy, soon to be trademarked. Source: dailystar.co.uk

“The EPL is regularly watched by more than a billion people, so the value attached to the brand is substantial,” Kondoudis said in a statement. “These filings represent a logical step to protect the brand in today’s economy, which includes virtual and crypto elements, and tomorrow’s virtual economy in the metaverse.”

Manchester City Kicks Off in Web3

EPL champions Manchester City are already making inroads in the metaverse, with the club using virtual reality (VR) experts from Sony to build the world’s first football stadium in Web3.

Manchester City enters the metaverse. Source: sportspromedia.com

In March this year, champion French team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) filed its own trademark applications covering NFT-backed multimedia, crypto wallets, managing crypto transactions, virtual clothing, sports gear and electronics.

In the same month, Manchester City announced a multimillion-dollar deal with the world’s second-largest exchange by spot volume, OKX. And in February, cross-town rivals Manchester United entered a partnership with Tezos for a reported US$27 million.

Several high-profile players are also dabbling in Web3: Tottenham Hotspur forward and latest Golden Boot winner Son Heung-min has announced a project, PSG’s Neymar owns a Mutant Ape NFT, and Man U’s Paul Pogba is attached to the CryptoDragons project.