"According to the USPTO, the dominant portion of each mark refers to a well-known geographic location (Las Vegas) while the remaining wording, Athletics,' lacks distinctiveness as applied to the goods and services identified in the applications. The examining attorney noted that athletics is defined as activities such as sports, exercises, and games that require physical skill and stamina, and concluded that the term directly describes the purpose and feature of the applicant's goods and services."
"The A's played their final season in Oakland in 2024. As they wait to finalize plans on a move to Vegas, the team has been using a Minor League field in Sacramento as their temporary home. Should the move to Vegas be completed, however, the team may have a different name. As pointed out by attorney Josh Gerben on his blog, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied multiple requests from the team, including for Las Vegas Athletics and Vegas Athletics."
The MLB franchise formerly based in Oakland played its final season in 2024 and has been using a Minor League field in Sacramento as a temporary home while planning a move to Las Vegas. The team applied for federal trademarks including 'Las Vegas Athletics' and 'Vegas Athletics' but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected the applications as too generic. The USPTO found 'Las Vegas' to be a dominant geographic element and determined that 'Athletics' lacks distinctiveness because it describes sports activities and the purpose of the services. The office concluded the marks merely describe a professional sports team rather than indicating a unique source. The team pointed to decades of historical use of the Athletics name, and an attorney expressed belief the trademark may ultimately be secured, noting the situation is rare among professional sports teams.
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