Bills File Trademark application on BillsMafia

[Big Turk]

1 hour ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Honestly, it’s completely garbage. Reid is a great dude and does a ton for charity (and they have awesome gear, support them).  He helped create it And the Bills are trying to steal it from them.

 

i really hope there is more to this story because the Bills look like a greedy, scumbag organization right now. 

 

Couldn't he sue them since he has already been using this for a long time? I thought there was some legal case I saw where it was overturned since they weren't the original owners of the phrase.

[JustWinPlease]

I don't get all the fuss about this...if the "Bills Mafia" people wanted it, they should have filed for the trademark years ago.

[NoSaint]

48 minutes ago, ChevyVanMiller said:

Del Reid and the boys coinEd the term, they should get the rights. The Billsare off base on this one.

will the bills allow use of “bills-anything people want to come up with in association with the team” though?

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 minute ago, matter2003 said:

 

Couldn't he sue them since he has already been using this for a long time? I thought there was some legal case I saw where it was overturned since they weren't the original owners of the phrase.

 

The problem would be certainly the Bills have a trademark for the use of the word "Bills" as a football team, and therefore, can someone else trademark a phrase that includes that?

[Nextmanup]

1 minute ago, JustWinPlease said:

I don't get all the fuss about this...if the "Bills Mafia" people wanted it, they should have filed for the trademark years ago.

And who exactly are the "Bills mafia people?"

 

You mean like the world at large, throwing this (unlikable) term around for the last 5 or 7 years?

 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

2 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

The problem would be certainly the Bills have a trademark for the use of the word "Bills" as a football team, and therefore, can someone else trademark a phrase that includes that?

 

If they don't it threatens their trade mark.

[Nextmanup]

6 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

will the bills allow use of “bills-anything people want to come up with in association with the team” though?

A trademark is an indicator of source of goods or services, for the most part.  That's it.  

 

The Bills are simply trying to use the term "BILLS MAFIA" (words only) in one application, and the words + stylized mark in another application, as an indicator of source for a variety of clothing items.

That's it.

 

I.E., they intend to sell clothing emanating from a "Bills Mafia" brand, so to speak, or a model line of clothing under the mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr. WEO]

Someone involved with “BillsMafia”  should have anticipated this and trademarked it first.  

[Nextmanup]

4 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

If they don't it threatens their trade mark.

That's not necessarily true.

 

As with all legal questions, the correct answer is "it all depends."

 

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Fans not happy 

 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/fans-not-happy-team-filed-154142828.html

 

 

[MAJBobby]

1 minute ago, Nextmanup said:

A trademark is an indicator of source of goods or services, for the most part.  That's it.  

 

The Bills are simply trying to use the term "BILLS MAFIA" (words only) in one application, and the words + stylized mark in another application, as an indicator of source for a variety of clothing items.

That's it.

 

I.E., they intend to sell clothing emanating from a "Bills Mafia" brand, so to speak, or a model line of clothing under the mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the exact same thing that Texas A&M did with 12th Man.  That the Bills then had to Pay Texas A&M a licensing fee to use it.  If you dont think the Bills would demand licensing fees from other apparel companies, I have some swamp land for sale.

Edited October 16, 2020 by MAJBobby

[Nextmanup]

Just now, Mr. WEO said:

Someone involved with “BillsMafia”  should have anticipated this and trademarked it first.  

And who would that be, exactly?

 

This is just a societally created term of art that has floated out there in the public domain for years.

The Bills were simply the first entity to come along and use it as a trademark, at least in terms of filing for federal TM registration.

Someone may be using it right now, and preparing to bring an opposition proceeding agains the Bills.

Their 2 applications haven't even been assigned to an examining attorney yet; the legal examination of them hasn't yet begun.

 

PS:  There is another entity out there who has filed a "BILLSMAFIA" mark for use in connection with an online message forum (like this one) about all things Buffalo, NY.

 

Shouldn't be a block to the Bills clothing apps.

 

 

1 minute ago, MAJBobby said:

And the exact same thing that Texas A&M did with 12th Man.  That the Bills then had to Pay Texas A&M a licensing fee to use it.  If you dont think the Bills would demand licensing fees from other apparel companies, I have some swamp land for sale.

I'm a TM attorney who has practiced for over 20 years.

Thanks for the information.

 

 

 

 

[Mr. WEO]

1 minute ago, Nextmanup said:

And who would that be, exactly?

 

This is just a societally created term of art that has floated out there in the public domain for years.

The Bills were simply the first entity to come along and use it as a trademark, at least in terms of filing for federal TM registration.

Someone may be using it right now, and preparing to bring an opposition proceeding agains the Bills.

Their 2 applications haven't even been assigned to an examining attorney yet; the legal examination of them hasn't yet begun.

 

PS:  There is another entity out there who has filed a "BILLSMAFIA" mark for use in connection with an online message forum (like this one) about all things Buffalo, NY.

 

Shouldn't be a block to the Bills clothing apps.

 

 

posters above mentioned several guys who seemed to have originated the concept/term.   Any of them could have trademarked “Bills Mafia”, no.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

6 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

Someone involved with “BillsMafia”  should have anticipated this and trademarked it first.  

the word Bills is associated with the team. 
 It was in one of the following tweets 

[HOUSE]

This is great, the added copyright revenue and sale of bogus Chinese  shirts will help lower ticket prices..

Maybe we can attend games for free next year..

Edited October 16, 2020 by HOUSE

[Nextmanup]

1 minute ago, Mr. WEO said:

posters above mentioned several guys who seemed to have originated the concept/term.   Any of them could have trademarked “Bills Mafia”, no.

And they still can bring a variety of inter partes proceedings against the Bills as a filer of the applications, if they believe they have grounds for doing so.  For example, opposing the applications and exerting a superior right of some type, like earlier use.

 

There is a huge amount of misunderstanding and bad information in this thread; needless to say, folks aren't going to comprehensively understand the rudiments of TM law in a few one sentence posts on a message forum.

 

The only "story" here is that the Bills are preparing to market a line of clothing under a "BILLS MAFIA" mark.

 

That's it.  

[Mr. WEO]

Just now, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

the word Bills is associated with the team. 
 It was in one of the following tweets 

So a phrase “Bills” followed by any word cannot be trademarked other than by Pegula?

[BuffaloMatt]

I have never been too fond of its use.   

 

Ma·fi·a

/ˈmäfēə/

noun

1. an organized international body of criminals, operating originally in Sicily and now especially in Italy and the US and having a complex and ruthless behavioral code.

   • any organized group using extortion and other criminal methods.

     noun: mafia; plural noun: mafias
   • a closed group of people in a particular field, having a controlling influence.

     noun: mafia

     "the conservative top tennis mafia"

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

1 minute ago, Mr. WEO said:

So a phrase “Bills” followed by any word cannot be trademarked other than by Pegula?

 

 

 

 

 

[GoBills808]

maybe he sold it to them

 

[Mr. WEO]

What would posters be less likely to purchase?:

 

1) an $8 glass of juice from “Healthy Scratch”

 

2) a official Bills Mafia (TM) tee shirt

[RoyBatty is alive]

Fans looking for another thing to be outraged over.

 

Sorry folks, the NFL and teams are a business and yes, your protect the name Bills, the team would be foolish not to trademark it..

3 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

maybe he sold it to them

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they haven't already worked something out.

[Mr. WEO]

3 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

 

 

 

 

 

So if I opened a restaurant called Bills Grill with no Buffalo bills colors/signage etc, they could send a cease and desist?  I could not trademark my places name?

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

in a Woke world 

 

A Mafia is not a good thing.  
 

[MJS]

1 minute ago, Mr. WEO said:

So if I opened a restaurant called Bills Grill with no Buffalo bills colors/signage etc, they could send a cease and desist?  I could not trademark my places name?

Just put a picture of a duck bill and you'll be fine.

 

But Bills Mafia is clearly, and always has been, Buffalo Bills related.

Edited October 16, 2020 by MJS

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

1 minute ago, Mr. WEO said:

So if I opened a restaurant called Bills Grill with no Buffalo bills colors/signage etc, they could send a cease and desist?  I could not trademark my places name?

Well William. 
 

As long as you don’t use the Bills logo on your advertising.  
 

Ya just plaster the walls with Bills posters 

As a surgeon why not Spare Parts?

[Mr. WEO]

Just now, MJS said:

Just put a picture of a duck bill and you'll be fine.

 

But Bills Mafia is clearly, and always has been, Buffalo Bills related.

What if Im spotted wearing a “Bills Mafia (TM) Official Apron while I’m running the kitchen?

[C.Biscuit97]

28 minutes ago, JustWinPlease said:

I don't get all the fuss about this...if the "Bills Mafia" people wanted it, they should have filed for the trademark years ago.

It’s a big corporation stepping on a small business.  Business wise, it’s makes total sense but it is completely scummy.  Someone can up with the term (which honestly I think is a corny but you can not deny it has taken off) and the Bills are stealing their idea.  
 

I hope there is more to the story (maybe throwing some money) but just being at work and looking quickly, it seems really crappy to do.

[Mr. WEO]

1 minute ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Well William. 
 

As long as you don’t use the Bills logo on your advertising.  
 

Ya just plaster the walls with Bills posters 

As a surgeon why not Spare Parts?

we bury our errors...

[C.Biscuit97]

7 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

What would posters be less likely to purchase?:

 

1) an $8 glass of juice from “Healthy Scratch”

 

2) a official Bills Mafia (TM) tee shirt

That $8 juice does hit different.  It is the nectar of basic girls. 

[Mr. WEO]

Just now, C.Biscuit97 said:

It’s a big corporation stepping on a small business.  Business wise, it’s makes total sense but it is completely scummy.  Someone can up with the term (which honestly I think is a corny but you can not deny it has taken off) and the Bills are stealing their idea.  
 

I hope there is more to the story (maybe throwing some money) but just being at work and looking quickly, it seems really crappy to do.

Part of PSEs stated goal of “remaining viable”.  Times are tough, you pick a penny off the ground...

Just now, C.Biscuit97 said:

That $8 juice does hit different.  It is the nectar of basic girls. 

their daughters...

[C.Biscuit97]

6 minutes ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

Fans looking for another thing to be outraged over.

 

Sorry folks, the NFL and teams are a business and yes, your protect the name Bills, the team would be foolish not to trademark it..

I wouldn't be surprised if they haven't already worked something out.

And fans can be mad at a corporation ripping off a small business, especially one that donates that much to charity. 

1 minute ago, Mr. WEO said:

Part of PSEs stated goal of “remaining viable”.  Times are tough, you pick a penny off the ground...

their daughters...

“Daddy, is $8 too cheap to charge for our juice?”

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

How many of you people have briefly met, known or dealt with a real Mafia member?

 

You keel your lips shut. 
 

or else 

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, MAJBobby said:

There is two Filings.  One for the Specific Logo and the Other for the Term.

If I'm Del Reid, I'd be livid right now. Really surprised the Pegs would go in this direction. They know the history and story behind BillsMafia. Why an obvious money grab here?

[Homey D. Clown]

Simply stop identifying as billsmafia all togher and change to #BuffaloMafia.  Done deal.  that screws the greedy Sh1tHeaded team, and the league.  #NFLwalkAway

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

5 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

If I'm Del Reid, I'd be livid right now. Really surprised the Pegs would go in this direction. They know the history and story behind BillsMafia. Why an obvious money grab here?

Del Reid is an idiot for using the term Mafia in the first place. 
 

he probably has no clue who the Mafia is or represented 

 

Edited October 16, 2020 by SlimShady'sSpaceForce

[Bray Wyatt]

I am surprised it took this long, and who knows maybe the pegulas will let him use the license free of charge, but charge others for use.

 

I will wait for more information to come to light.

 

 

[LeGOATski]

Gotta love the dooms day crowd here...

 

I'd be really surprised if the Bills didn't let Reid keep operating the charity as normal.

 

Thanks to @Nextmanup for the insight. 

[RoyBatty is alive]

3 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

And fans can be mad at a corporation ripping off a small business, especially one that donates that much to charity. 

“Daddy, is $8 too cheap to charge for our juice?”

 

 

Go ahead, "be mad" all you want, no one is is saying you can't be mad and as far as "ripping" off a small business, the Pegulas paid a billion plus for the name and team.  They aren't "ripping" anyone off, being smart business people.

 

Since you want to be so outraged at them please start to boycott the team and organize others to do as well.

Just now, Bray Wyatt said:

I am surprised it took this long, and who knows maybe the pegulas will let him use the license free of charge, but charge others for use.

 

I will wait for more information to come to light.

 

 

Oh my, a poster here using common sense and not driven by emotion.

 

I as well as shocked it took so long.

[C.Biscuit97]

1 minute ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Del Reid is an idiot for use the term Mafia in the first place. 
 

he probably has no clue who the Mafia is or represented 

 

You’re not being serious are you?