Partial Source: PWInsider
Bruce Tharpe’s trademark registration for the National Wrestling Alliance has been partially suspended. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has partially suspended the trademark due to “a likelihood of confusion with a registered mark and under Trademark Act Sections 1 and 45 for failure to show the applied-for mark in use in commerce with any of the specified goods in Class 25. The applicant was also informed that the marks in two pending applications present a potential bar to registration under Section 2(d), if registered. In addition, applicant was required to provide an amended definite identification of goods, provide information relevant to examination under 37 C.F.R. §2.61(b), clarify the mark description, provide clarification regarding the claimed dates of first use, and provide clarification regarding the applicant’s claim of concurrent use.”
Tharpe applied for the trademark in March after it lapsed in December. Essentially, there are other applications featuring a similar brand name that may come into conflict and that Tharpe’s application didn’t show adequate proof that the brand was being used in a commercial way.
It was reported last week that Billy Corgan’s purchase of the brand was in jeopardy due to difficulty in transferring trademarks, although we can confirm that discussions have continued since then.
