Athlete Brand Mark Ownership: The Current Landscape of Trademark Usage in the National Basketball Association

Abstract

The need for athletes to protect and take ownership of their brand has become increasingly evident as more athletes enter their brands and brand marks into the marketplace. Recent instances where athletes have had to protect their personal logo, or related brand mark, reinforce the growing necessity of the utilization of federally registered trademarks. This investigation examined what type of brand marks, and by what type of athlete (e.g., more experienced, more famous) are being strategically protected, in addition to the type of mark these athletes most frequently protect. Results indicated that while experience was not a representative variable for which athletes utilized trademarks, salary and number of followers were. Additionally, the athletes were most likely to protect their logo, followed by trademarks of other business-related entities (e.g., restaurants), in comparison to other brand marks. Further results are discussed, as well as implications, such as the need for professional athlete and/or brand managers to recognize the value in protecting the athlete brand.