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Jagermeister wants to block the Milwaukee Bucks from trademarking its (similar) logo
The Milwaukee Bucks logo looks like the logo for Jagermeister liquor. You don’t need to be four shots in, staring at the waving bottle in the middle from across the bar, to recognize as much.
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Jager clearly thinks so. The company filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday, acting in “opposition” to the Bucks being given a registered trademark for their new’ish deer logo, which was introduced in 2015.
From Milwaukee’s BizTimes, as relayed by Arthur Thomas:
The company alleges the Bucks knew Jägermeister had the rights to the deer head marks before applying to register its logo. The notice alleges the Bucks adopted the logo “in bad faith with an intent to cause confusion and deception, to create a false suggestion of connection or association with (Jägermeister), and to trade on the fame, popularity and goodwill associated with” the deer head marks.
Jägermeister says the services provided by the two organizations “are so related” that it creates the potential for confusion. The potential for confusion “is enhanced by the extraordinary fame” of Jägermeister’s trademarks, the notice says.
It also says the potential for damage to Jägermeister’s goodwill “is enhanced by the fact that prospective customers who are not satisfied with the quality of Applicant’s services will attribute those defects to Opposer and this will injure Opposer’s reputation and goodwill.”
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Bruce Vielmetti’s got to the heart of the, literal, order:
As Katrina Hull, a partner and trademark specialist at Michael Best & Friedrich put it, “In other words, if the Bucks have a bad season, this could cause Jager fans to switch to vodka or tequila shots to not be reminded by the Jager bottle of the Bucks missed free throws or turnovers.”
The registration opposition is only that, Hull said. The filing doesn’t stop the Bucks from using its deer logo; that would require a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction.
The deer, then, is safe for now. Jager only wishes to contend that the Bucks not receive registration for their new logo in deference to the liquor logo, which dates back to 1968.
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Jagermeister is a type of liquor that (of-age!) college students learn to do shots with. Later, after acquiring their first busy shirt and/or apartment, those same college students then proceed to use it in cocktails that also feature energy drinks.
Chauncey Billups was unavailable for comment.
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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
