Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The UFC might be launching some new entertainment products very soon.
ZUFFA LLC, parent company for the UFC, has filed hundreds of trademarks since its inception in the year 2000. The company’s latest round of applications hint at some new ‘entertainment services’ coming down the eight-sided pipeline.
On January 2nd ZUFFA saw their application to trademark the terms UFC FIGHTLORE and UFC WATCH PARTY granted status 680 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Status 680 means the trademarks have been Approved for Publication. This means the trademarks have been examined by the USPTO are have been approved in principle.
Trademarks with status 680 are reviewed by a publication committee before being granted full trademark status. Status 680 also means that a trademark must now undergo a 30-day period where third-parties can oppose the registration of the mark — should they feel the mark will injure them in some way (per Trademark Bank).
ZUFFA filed their application for UFC FIGHTLORE on October 24th, 2019. The UFC WATCH PARTY application was filed on November 5th, 2019.
In their application for UFC FIGHTLORE ZUFFA stated the following, regarding potential uses for the trademark:
Entertainment services, namely, providing non-downloadable audio and video recordings featuring sports, mixed martial arts, popular culture and sports community, culture and history via the Internet, television, cable and satellite; entertainment services, namely, a multimedia program series featuring sports, mixed martial arts, popular culture and sports community, culture and history distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media; providing news and information relating to sports, mixed martial arts, popular culture, athletes and sporting events, community, culture and history
In the UFC WATCH PARTY application, potential uses are as follows:
Entertainment services, namely, providing non-downloadable audio and video recordings featuring sports, mixed martial arts and popular culture via the Internet, television, cable and satellite; entertainment services, namely, a multimedia program series featuring sports, mixed martial arts and popular culture distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media; providing news and information relating to sports, mixed martial arts, athletes and sporting events; arranging and conducting special events for social entertainment purposes
Both trademarks were filed in the 041 International Class, which is designated for, ‘Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities’.
Prior to applying for these trademarks ZUFFA had a separate trademark application refused. On September 30th the company submitted two applications to protect the term FIGHTER 365. Those marks were given Status 641 on January 2nd.
Status 641, also known as Non-Final Action – Mailed, means a trademark application has been rejected. However, this status is given mostly because the USPTO has questions regarding the application. The applicant has six months to answer those questions. Pending those answers, the marks may then be approved.
For their classification identification, the FIGHTER 365 applications used international class 041 and 009. The application filed under 041 stated the following as the potential uses for the mark:
Entertainment services, namely, providing non-downloadable audio and video recordings featuring sports and mixed martial arts via the Internet, television, cable and satellite; entertainment services, namely, a multimedia program series featuring sports and mixed martial arts distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media; providing news and information relating to sports, mixed martial arts, athletes and sporting events
The application filed under class 009 had the following description:
Audio and video recordings featuring sports and entertainment; downloadable audio and video recordings featuring sports and entertainment via global communication network and video-on-demand service
International Class 009 is defined as such, by the USPTO; ‘Scientific, nautical, surveying, electric, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signalling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; automatic vending machines and mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing equipment and computers; fire-extinguishing apparatus.’
2019 was a notable year when it comes to UFC trademarks. It’s then that the company sought to protect BADDEST MOTHERFUCKER and BMF. When it comes to being a fully-registered trademark, a number of applications for the BADDEST MOTHERFUCKER mark are near the finish line. However, some of the BMF applications have been held up pending some questions from the USPTO.
Other 2019 trademark applications by ZUFFA include: UFC GYM HEAT, UFC THE WALK, WHERE CHAMPIONS ARE MADE, UFC PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE, UFC UNFILTERED, UFC ACADEMY COMBINE, UFC ACADEMY and UFC APEX.