Bill Belichick ran into a roadblock while making an attempt to trademark 4 phrases with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The USPTO shot down 4 purposes filed by Belichick’s firm, TCE Rights Management LLC, which is managed by his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, due to the “likelihood of confusion” with beforehand filed emblems that the Patriots — Belichick’s former NFL employer — maintain.
The emblems in query are for 4 phrases that TCE Rights Management LLC submitted to the USPTO, which included “Do Your Job (Bill’s Version),” “Ignore the Noise (Bill’s Version),” “The Belestrator (Bill’s Version)” and “No Days Off (Bill’s Version).”
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA soccer recreation against Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. AP
The phrases — sans the “Bill’s Version” — were trademarked by the Patriots in years previous, and the USPTO wrote that it rejected the request because “it is likely consumers would be confused, mistaken, or deceived as to the commercial source of the goods and/or services of the parties.”
“The addition of a term to a registered mark has often been found to increase the similarity between the compared marks where, as in the present case, the dominant portion of the marks is the same,” the USPTO wrote.
In its utility, TCE Rights Management LLC indicated it sought the trademark for clothes, audio and video streaming materials, books, and the manufacturing of media.
The USPTO is giving the 73-year-old Belichick’s firm three months to attraction its ruling.
Head Coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during the first half of the soccer recreation against the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium on September 6, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Getty Images
Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson attend the 14th Annual NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre on February 6, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Getty Images
Trademark legal professional Josh Gerben wrote on his web site that the try to trademark the phrases by including the “Bill’s Version” moniker — mimicking Taylor Swift’s technique when she re-recorded outdated songs — didn’t work because the beloved songstress was dealing with copyright legislation rather than trademark legislation.
“The song titles were not protected by trademarks (as the title of a ‘single work of art’ is not protectable as a trademark), therefore, she could simply add ‘Taylor’s Version’ at the end of the song title and re-release the new recording,” he wrote. “Belichick’s case is much different. Trademark law is about brands — names that identify products or services. Adding ‘Bill’s Version’ to an already registered trademark doesn’t create a new brand; it just makes a confusingly similar version of an existing one. That’s why the USPTO sided with the Patriots and denied Belichick’s applications.”
Gerben famous in the publish that Belichick could try to file a petition to cancel the Patriots’ emblems if they aren’t actively utilizing them, which would open the door for Belichick’s purposes.
Source hyperlink
