Bills File Trademark application on BillsMafia

[dpberr]

There's no angle I see where the corporate Bills look good here.  

 

At best, it looks like a desperate way to gin revenue.  At worst, it's using their corporate muscle to outmaneuver a fan.  

 

It's always ticky-tack stuff like this that gets the tone-deaf wealthy in trouble. 

 

 

[SDS]

2 minutes ago, Bronxbomber21 said:

What's crazy is that the Bills organization didn't want anything to do with the Bills Mafia slogan and now they want to take credit for it and get paid....WOW

Who said they want to take credit for it? The problem is that regardless of what they wanted, the term became associated with the team and once that happens you can’t have the NFL industry referring to a private persons property. The NFL is like a real thing you know what I mean?

[Beast]

2 hours ago, MAJBobby said:

Because the Bills are taking a grassroots, fan verbiage that thy had nothing to do with and well are claiming theirs and will not charge anyone that ill want to use BillsMafia

 

There would be no BillsMafia without the Buffalo Bills so there's that.

[Penfield45]

horrible look for pegula if they start taking legal action against fans for making bills mafia merch. 

 

trademarking a term your own fans created? Yikes. NFL is embarrassing with the amount of money they want from everyone and everything. 

Edited October 16, 2020 by Penfield45

[LABILLBACKER]

Should Del have copyright'd.....yes. I think he was caught off guard by the Pegulas doing this. Is the term mafia somewhat inappropriate?  Probably, but as Scott pointed out this moniker has already been nationally accepted by analysts everywhere. I guess the part that will always bother me is the big rich corporation coming in to take over the small guy. 

 

[Lurker]

1 hour ago, NoSaint said:

if you don’t protect your trademarks you definitely risk them. Which could be a factor.

 

also just because Reid is doing positive now doesn’t mean he or others always will.

 

the optics are bad but the decision is sound and reasonable based on my limited knowledge of the situation.

 

Agreed.    Protecting how the term "Bills Mafia" is used in the future is totally within their rights, based on what we know right now.    

 

For example, what if someone were to make a t-shirt with  "Fu**'en Yeah, Bills Mafia"  The team would have to have the right to issue a cease & desist order to protect their (and the NFL's) image.

 

Or if someone were to create a "Bills Mafia" line of dildos featuring Tom Brady's face.    Hey....that actually sounds like a good marketing idea...

 

 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2020 by Lurker

[Golden*Wheels]

I wasn't aware there was a "legit", let alone in any way charitable org I could get Mafia stuff from....I've just been doing ebay. Who do I support real quick BEFORE the Bills take it over?

 

Gotta say my fav shirt is a non Bills buffalo on a crest with five stars. Just says "Mafia". I assume you can't trademark that.

 

 

Edited October 16, 2020 by Golden*Wheels

[formerlyofCtown]

2 hours ago, MAJBobby said:

Completely agree.  This is a bad look and must be the 2020 version of "drilling another well"

Verbiage as well Hence their Second Filing I posted.

Don't understand how they can.  All he needs to do is dispute the claim.

[SDS]

For anyone who follows trademark law, they will understand that confusion is central to the issue. If people are confused about the bills not owning bills mafia then it’s done. They have to control that and protect their property.

[formerlyofCtown]

31 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

He just may be.  Mafia is not a widely known phrase.  I for one am at a total loss as to what it means, or represents.

 

I also eat lead.

Death to the french is italy's cry.

 

Something like that.

[Bronxbomber21]

3 minutes ago, SDS said:

Who said they want to take credit for it? The problem is that regardless of what they wanted, the term became associated with the team and once that happens you can’t have the NFL industry referring to a private persons property. The NFL is like a real thing you know what I mean?

Well then shouldn't the Bills organization work out a deal with said private person 

[Lurker]

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4805:yr4ump.2.1

 

 

/

 

Edited October 16, 2020 by Lurker

[LABILLBACKER]

12 minutes ago, dpberr said:

There's no angle I see where the corporate Bills look good here.  

 

At best, it looks like a desperate way to gin revenue.  At worst, it's using their corporate muscle to outmaneuver a fan.  

 

It's always ticky-tack stuff like this that gets the tone-deaf wealthy in trouble. 

 

 

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.

[Lurker]

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=searchss&state=4803:u15e7p.1.1

 

Edited October 16, 2020 by Lurker

[MAJBobby]

16 minutes ago, Beast said:

 

There would be no BillsMafia without the Buffalo Bills so there's that.

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

14 minutes ago, SDS said:

For anyone who follows trademark law, they will understand that confusion is central to the issue. If people are confused about the bills not owning bills mafia then it’s done. They have to control that and protect their property.

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

[dickleyjones]

as someone who has actually had an terrible encounter with the mafia, i hope they put the moniker away forever. i don't care who owns it, it is distasteful at best.

 

 

[Lurker]

5 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 

 

Lol.  So if Pepsi Mafia or Bud Light Mafia catch on, those companies have no right to control their use either?

 

Not may business people on this board, I guess...

[MAJBobby]

2 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

Lol.  So if Pepsi Mafia or Bud Light Mafia catch on, those companies have no right to control their use either?

 

Not may business people on this board, I guess...

 

Yeah Business people.  are here.  Just your standard PR nightmare from Pegulas, happens one a QTR

[RoyBatty is alive]

1 minute ago, Lurker said:

 

Lol.  So if Pepsi Mafia or Bud Light Mafia catch on, those companies have no right to control their use either?

 

Not may business people on this board, I guess...

 

Elegant and simple explanation.

[Chandler#81]

2 hours 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. 

 

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

Bingo. #Trademark rights