Bills File Trademark application on BillsMafia

[Stanley Lombardi]

Louie "the Pipe" is not pleased.  Pegulas can expect a knock, a single knock, on their door.

[MAJBobby]

Man they must have some ***** marketing and idea people.  First they rip off Dels concept for one off design shirts to help charities with their "New" Player designed shirts.

 

Now trademarking a Fan #

2 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

 

omg. Lighten tf up. What’s the 1st word in Billsmafia?

Bingo. #Trademark rights

Bills is a Common Word.  #JustSaying.

 

But hey Pegulas are enjoying ripping off fan ideas. See Player designed T-Shirts

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

2 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

 

omg. Lighten tf up. What’s the 1st word in Billsmafia?

Bingo. #Trademark rights

I dunno, it's a pretty cheap move by the Bills organization. Should Snyder have the right to trademark Football Team?

[Freddie's Dead]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

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

 

It's hard to trademark when you have someone else's mark involved.

[Sherlock Holmes]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Steady on here, guys.  As I understand, they're trademarking that particular logo.

 

But if they are trying to trademark the whole term and go after anyone else using it....it is a really poor look

But of course nothing negative can be said about it as I would imagine you would incur the wrath of the banhammer 

[Lurker]

1 minute ago, BringMetheHeadofLeonLett said:

I dunno, it's a pretty cheap move by the Bills organization. Should Snyder have the right to trademark Football Team?

 

Bad analogy.    "Washington Football Team" is a legal entity.    "Football team" is not....

[LeGOATski]

3 minutes ago, BringMetheHeadofLeonLett said:

I dunno, it's a pretty cheap move by the Bills organization. Should Snyder have the right to trademark Football Team?

I wouldn't be surprised if he tried....

[Chandler#81]

3 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

Man they must have some ***** marketing and idea people.  First they rip off Dels concept for one off design shirts to help charities with their "New" Player designed shirts.

 

Now trademarking a Fan #

Bills is a Common Word.  #JustSaying.

 

But hey Pegulas are enjoying ripping off fan ideas. See Player designed T-Shirts

pfffffft!🤬

 

Yeah, right. It wasn’t meant for the “Buffalo Bills”. It was meant for all men named William.

gimmeabreak🤦‍♂️

[RoyBatty is alive]

1 minute ago, LeGOATski said:

I wouldn't be surprised if he tried....

Bet he or someone in the organization did.

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

1 minute ago, Lurker said:

 

Bad analogy.    "Washington Football Team" is a legal entity.    "Football team" is not....

Well it's not 'Buffalo Bills Mafia'

 

 

on a side note, I don't know why I'm arguing the side I am- I'm luke-warm on putting Bills & Mafia together in the first place haha. 

[Lurker]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Steady on here, guys.  As I understand, they're trademarking that particular logo.

 

But if they are trying to trademark the whole term and go after anyone else using it....it is a really poor look

 

They're also trademaking the term Bills Mafia in a separate application:

 

https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=90248260&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

9 minutes ago, Sherlock Holmes said:

But of course nothing negative can be said about it as I would imagine you would incur the wrath of the banhammer 

 

WTF you talking about?  Like this forum is full of pink unicorns farting gold sparkles or something?

[MAJBobby]

 

[NoSaint]

30 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

Just like there are no Player brands without the Buffalo Bills. Should they start trademarking those?

Bills Never controlled Bills Mafia that was a grassroots fan thing. They didn’t have to protect anything. It wasn’t theirs 

the term bills would be the issue.

 

if it were buffalo football mafia it’s a different issue. 
 

as a fan do you think you can coin phrases using the team name and profit off them?

[Lurker]

The team owns the "Bills" word mark, so technically the use of "Bills Mafia" was a violation of that.   They are just cleaning up that ommission by filing the new trademark application.

 

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4804:706h1p.2.53

 

[NoSaint]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

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

To sell football gear? No. 

[RoyBatty is alive]

1 minute ago, NoSaint said:

the term bills would be the issue.

 

if it were buffalo football mafia it’s a different issue. 
 

as a fan do you think you can coin phrases using the team name and profit off them?

 

Where you the one that brought up the Saints trademarking the name "who dat'?  That was a great analogy to what is being discussed here.

[Putin]

This is some mafia bs !!

[Blokestradamus]

4 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

 

 

Robyn is the nicest person on Earth. If you've pissed her off, you done ***** up.

[dpberr]

41 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

This is the part I don't get. They had to know the narrative of BillsMafia. Did some marketing dude just pitch them to say F it and let's get some more merch revenue. The optics of this is terrible but each and every day I see money push ethics aside. And it will never end.

 

It's always a consultant's fault.  Always.  Every bad idea in corporate America started with a consultant trying to be clever.

 

My hot take on all this - the Bills are very focused on revenue recapture by any and all means necessary, so no idea is too wild.

 

I just think the couple bucks they will make in sweatshirt sales is nowhere near the offset of the negative publicity and fan base reaction. 

[MAJBobby]

5 minutes ago, Blokestradamus said:

 

Robyn is the nicest person on Earth. If you've pissed her off, you done ***** up.

 

Yep completely agree

[JoPoy88]

27 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

 

omg. Lighten tf up. What’s the 1st word in Billsmafia?

Bingo. #Trademark rights

this is how I am leaning too. Yes it doesn’t look that good from a PR standpoint, but Del’s “creation” is directly derived from the Bills’ IP, isn’t it? I mean, “Bills” is right there in the name and the team owns that. Hope they try to work a deal with Del at least.

[WideNine]

2 hours ago, TroutDog said:

Agreed. Personally, I believe it’s wise to withhold judgment until the entire story comes out. 

 

3 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Steady on here, guys.  As I understand, they're trademarking that particular logo.

 

But if they are trying to trademark the whole term and go after anyone else using it....it is a really poor look

 

This.

 

We live in such a Tweet-driven reactionary society that folks need to be retrained to pump-the-brakes, wait for a reliable and comprehensive source to fully explain, .... then break out the pitchforks and torches.

[NoSaint]

10 minutes ago, Blokestradamus said:

 

Robyn is the nicest person on Earth. If you've pissed her off, you done ***** up.

that’s patently a terrible standard 

 

a  lot of fans here are thinking of the fun of when this goes right without realizing the bills can lose the right to protect themselves later when/if it goes wrong if they don’t step up.

 

del could license the term from them for various endeavors but you can’t just steal the team name, or logo. He’s the one that’s created the issue, and put the bills in a lose-lose situation where they have to protect the brand but will look bad cause he’s just a good guy

Edited October 16, 2020 by NoSaint

[Lagoon Blues]

Does anyone know for sure if they are not working with him on this?

[Irv]

Bush move by the Bills.  Bush move by the Bills. 

 

Sincerely,

Jimmy Two Times

 

 

Edited October 16, 2020 by Irv

[RoyBatty is alive]

Just now, NoSaint said:

that’s patently a terrible standard 

 

a  lot of fans here are thinking of the fun of when this goes right without realizing the bills can lose the right to protect themselves if it goes wrong if they don’t step up.

 

del could license the term from them for various endeavors but you can’t just steal the team name, or logo. He’s the one that’s created the issue, and put the bills in a lose-lose situation where they have to protect the brand but will look bad cause he’s just a good guy

 

 

Yep, the fact that he might be a "good guy" or is small compared to the Bills organization is totally irrelevant (except for the optics).

 

And it isnt just Del, you set the precedent NOW.   Maybe some others start to market the name, maybe they are not small and/or not :"good guys".  You get it under control as soon as you can.

 

And he did put the bills in a lose-lose situation, read some of these responses if you need the evidence, all they are doing is trying to protect the Bills name/image/likeness.

 

 

[NoSaint]

2 minutes ago, Irv said:

Bush move by the Bills.  Lost respect for the club. 

how would you feel if someone used a similar phrase derogatorily with the bills and/logo to sell Flags/towels to opposing fans at games? 
 

if the bills don’t protect it legally here they could lose the right to stop it there. 

Edited October 16, 2020 by NoSaint

[RoyBatty is alive]

2 minutes ago, Lagoon Blues said:

Does anyone know for sure if they are not working with him on this?

No one knows just a bunch of wild arse guessing including this implicit assumption the Bills are going to be selling T Shirts with Bills Mafia on it.  I wouldn't be shocked if they just want the term to die.

[Sherlock Holmes]

25 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

WTF you talking about?  Like this forum is full of pink unicorns farting gold sparkles or something?

I was just saying...

 

You can only say that the Bills burned somebody nice for so long until all of a sudden it will be a taboo topic. We all know this is true, it's just a matter of how long until it is taboo?

[Lurker]

Just now, NoSaint said:

how would you feel if someone used a similar phrase derogatorily with the bills and/logo to sell Flags/towels to opposing fans at games? 
 

if the bills don’t protect it legally here they could lose the right to stop it there. 

 

Yep.  I stand by my "very few business people on this board" comment.    Which, frankly, I'm a bit surprised by...

[Irv]

1 minute ago, NoSaint said:

how would you feel if someone used a similar phrase derogatorily with the bills and/logo to sell Flags/towels to opposing fans at games? 
 

if the bills don’t protect it legally here they could lose the right to stop it there. 

 

Wouldn't a cease-and-desist be more appropriate than filing for a copyright?  The copyright makes the Bills look greedy. 

[RoyBatty is alive]

1 minute ago, Irv said:

 

Wouldn't a cease-and-desist be more appropriate than filing for a copyright?  The copyright makes the Bills look greedy. 

 

The copyright/trademark comes first, then the cease and desist has some real teeth.

[NoSaint]

3 minutes ago, Irv said:

 

Wouldn't a cease-and-desist be more appropriate than filing for a copyright?  The copyright makes the Bills look greedy. 

proving ownership of the term would go a long way first.
 

for all you know they could license it back to the guy to use for various charitable projects where they just get approval on design to ensure it meets buffalo bills standards. 
 

it makes sense they would want to own the right to branding associated with them. Who knows what will happen from here but they are 100% correct legally and morally to file the claim.

Edited October 16, 2020 by NoSaint

[MAJBobby]

 

[Irv]

Just now, NoSaint said:

for all you know they could license it back to the guy to use for various charitable projects where they just get approval on design to ensure it meets buffalo bills standards. 
 

it makes sense they would want to own the right to branding associates with them. Who knows what will happen from here but they are 100% correct legally and morally to file the claim.

 

Morally?  Coming form a dude who calls himself NoSaint?

[Wayne Cubed]

1 minute ago, Lurker said:

 

Yep.  I stand by my "very few business people on this board" comment.    Which, frankly, I'm a bit surprised by...

I work in creative design and this copyright/trademark 101. This is the Bills protecting their brand. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.

 

[RoyBatty is alive]

1 minute ago, Irv said:

 

Morally?  Coming form a dude who calls himself NoSaint?

 

Haha, i believe it is an allusion to the New Orleans Saints where he/she has an outline of the state on the Avatar.

 

Probably stuck on Louisiana trying to root for the Bills, I know I used to live there.  Obnoxious as heck fans and there slogan "who dat" is a lot more ignorant and offensive imo than is the "Bills Mafia".

[Irv]

7 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

proving ownership of the term would go a long way first.
 

for all you know they could license it back to the guy to use for various charitable projects where they just get approval on design to ensure it meets buffalo bills standards. 
 

it makes sense they would want to own the right to branding associated with them. Who knows what will happen from here but they are 100% correct legally and morally to file the claim.

 

Watch out.  Saints copyrighting NoSaint. 

[Golden*Wheels]

Holy cow Wyo, still banging' around. I half expect to see TheBlackBear next.

 

Oddly, I don't remember making her mad being all that hard. Ahem.