Nike is denied trademark for Bronny James 'b9' logo. Here's why
The 'b9' logo denied due to 'likelihood of confusion' with Back9 Golf Apparel's registered mark. James has worn shoes bearing the logo in some Lakers games.
Lakers guard Bronny James has worn shoes bearing the b9 logo in some Lakers games. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Nike has been refused a trademark for Bronny James ' "b9" logo that appears on shoes have been worn in games by the second-year Lakers player and are being sold by the sports apparel giant. The U.
S. Patent and Trademark Office notified Nike of its decision with a letter of refusal earlier this week, citing "likelihood of confusion" with an already-registered mark by the Back9 Golf Apparel company. "Applicant’s mark, B9, is confusingly similar to the registered mark, B9," the refusal letter states.
"The marks are similar in appearance, sound, and commercial impression. In addition, the marks are essentially phonetic equivalents and, thus, sound similar. Similarity in sound alone may be sufficient to support a finding that the compared marks are confusingly similar.
" Read more: Swanson: Bronny James has proven he deserves to be a Laker — with or without LeBron Nike did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Times. The James logo features a lowercase "b" with a "9" embedded in the center (where a hole normally would be). The Back9 logo has a capital "B" and a "9" of the same size next to each other.