Bills and trademarking “Bills Mafia”

[T&C]

5 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Old guy moment:

 

I've never been too keen on the whole moniker, having grown up as a fan before it became a thing.

 

 

Same... but I guess I could see teenagers liking it. I'll just stay a Bills fan.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

8 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Old guy moment:

 

I've never been too keen on the whole moniker, having grown up as a fan before it became a thing.

 

 

LaFamiglia is far more accurate 

 

but not for the 😎 cool kids 

[JohnNord]

9 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Here is a list of Buffalo Bills trademarks.  There are two "Mafia" trademarks, both filed for in Oct. 2020:

 

https://www.gerbenlaw.com/trademarks/nfl/buffalo-bills/

 

I'm not sure what the "new" part of this news is that PFT is sharing.

Its old news Florio’s getting made fun of

[The Jokeman]

24 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

The Bills made a deal with those guys last year I believe. 

I love the use of those guys in reference, hopefully it wasn't ironic. 

[Gugny]

11 minutes ago, eball said:

#FlorioBreakingNews is now a thing on Twitter because of this 2-year old "breaking" story.

 

LMAO!  This is awesome!

 

https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlorioBreakingNews?src=hashtag_click

 

[Codyny13]

I thought this was old news? Bills store has been selling billsmafia clothes for 2 years now 

[Shaw66]

21 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

 

 

That’s not technically true.  The Bills own the name “Bills.”  You can’t trademark someone else’s trademark.  That would be like me claiming they trademark “Disney Family” 

 

This is why, as someone stated previously, Del Reid handed over the rights to the name “Bills Mafia” to the team for free.  They always owned the trademark.  

Interesting. Sounds right.  Thanks.  

 

Also makes sense because they never intended to become a real business, but just a fan group.  

[WhoTom]

35 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

The Bills made a deal with those guys last year I believe. 

 

It was an offer they couldn't refuse.

 

[Warcodered]

 

[Motorin']

2 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

 

It was an offer they couldn't refuse.

 

 

I was a mod on a different Bills board ages ago and remember getting a cease and desist email from a Bills attorney. 

 

They were no longer ok with the use the team name like "buffalobillsfansitexyx.com."

 

They were/ are ok with the use of just Bills, but reserved the right to deny use of the term "Bills" if they so chose. 

 

[Warcodered]

 

[K D]

I'm certainly not a fan of everything being "woke" and people being so sensitive these days but I just wanted to share this and people can take from it what they will. My grandparents are Sicilian immigrants and don't appreciate the "Bills Mafia" moniker as it has some derogatory and racial undertones from when they were profiled and outcasts growing up in a much more racially segregated society. I'm usually the first to say that it's just a name and it seems silly but if it negatively impacted people then I try to understand and put myself in their shoes.

 

Quick story - My grandpa served in the army putting up communication lines across the middle east during WW2 and when he came home he couldn't even get a job at the phone company. This was the story for a lot of immigrants and the mafia was perhaps a necessary evil to try and level the playing field and provide opportunities and protection for people coming to this country.

 

I'm surprised in this day and age where the Washington football team and Cleveland baseball teams had to change their names that this kind of name is just recently becoming popular and now being placed on official team merchandise. I don't care personally, I didn't live it, but I'm certain that some people don't appreciate it or care for it so take that for what it's worth I guess. A lot of those folks that lived it have since passed so maybe it's becoming acceptable again but I know there is a lot of negativity with that word so I'm just surprised it's caught on so much.

 

Let the eye roll emojis begin. Thanks for your support! 👍

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Lets do the Time Warp Again 

 

 

insert image of Tim Curry 

 

Let's do the Time Warp again …

 

It's just a jump to the left

And then a step to the right

Put your hands on your hips

You bring your knees in tight
 

Lesson learned  

Always check the date! 

[Don Otreply]

54 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Yeah.  The tweet is incorrectly.  It didn't arise "organically."  Del Reid and a couple of other guys created it intentionally.  It's maybe gone someplace they didn't actually intend, but it's theirs.   Bills can't get rights to the tradename unless the people who are the Bills Mafia organization give it to them.  https://buffalofambase.com/what-is-billsmafia/

Potential big payday for the people who are the Bills mafia? 

[Motorin']

1 minute ago, Don Otreply said:

Potential big payday for the people who are the Bills mafia? 

 

I don't think so. They can't get paid for their use of the Bills trademark and logo that they Incorporated into the Bills Mafia name and logo. 

 

I think they gladly accosted formal recognition and partnerships with the Bills, but I'd be surprised if they got a big pay day outright. 

[Don Otreply]

1 minute ago, Motorin' said:

 

I don't think so. They can't get paid for their use of the Bills trademark and logo that they Incorporated into the Bills Mafia name and logo. 

 

I think they gladly accosted formal recognition and partnerships with the Bills, but I'd be surprised if they got a big pay day outright. 

I would think a licensing agreement could happen, I would think lawyers are working on both sides to come to an agreement of usage, 

[Gugny]

Very good article from Oct. 2020 with input from both Terry Pegula and Del Reid.

 

https://theathletic.com/2143835/2020/10/16/bills-mafia-finally-joins-teams-official-family-after-years-of-being-rebuffed/

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by Gugny

[WhoTom]

16 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

I'm surprised in this day and age where the Washington football team and Cleveland baseball teams had to change their names that this kind of name is just recently becoming popular and now being placed on official team merchandise. I don't care personally, I didn't live it, but I'm certain that some people don't appreciate it or care for it so take that for what it's worth I guess.

 

I'm also of Sicilian ancestry. No mob ties as far as I know, but I still dislike the moniker. I don't think it's my ethnicity that makes me feel that way, I just don't want my team associated with mobsters. I find it odd that an organization that emphasizes character among its players and other employees would embrace such a connection.

 

 

 

 

[Buffalo716]

1 hour ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

😂

 

2 years ago 

there are some things better left unsaid 

 

if you really know the meaning you’d understand.  
 

There is a mafia in Buffalo though

 

 

[Motorin']

8 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

I would think a licensing agreement could happen, I would think lawyers are working on both sides to come to an agreement of usage, 

 

The article Gugny just posted is pretty clear that the Bills didn't have to reach out to Del and those guys, but did so out of respect. 

 

From a financial standpoint, you can't take someone's billion dollar brand, add your own twist to it as a fan brand and have any standing to make money for yourself claiming it's now your trademark. The Bills own the Bills trademark. 

 

Pretty cool the relationship the original Bills Mafia guys have with the team though.