AEW Executive Vice President Cody Runnels (Cody Rhodes) looks to have landed a major victory in trying to trademark the “Cody Rhodes” ring name as WWE filed a cancellation notice with the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) to surrender the “Cody Rhodes” trademark.
The cancellation notice was filed on November 2, and was finalized with the USPTO this morning, according to HeelByNature.
Cody has had issues with trademarking that ring name due to WWE owning it legally, despite the trademark officially expiring earlier this year. WWE originally secured rights to the trademark in October 2009, with a filing that was good for 10 years, making it expire in October 2019. The USPTO gives a six month grace period to renew applications, and the trademark ended up expiring as WWE did not renew in time.
WWE’s trademark for the “Cody Rhodes” name expired on April 13. Cody then filed his own trademark for the name that same day. WWE tried to revive their expired trademark in May, noting that COVID-19 caused a delay in renewal. WWE no longer wanted to use the trademark for “live performances by a professional wrestler” and instead wanted to claim the trademark for “entertainment services, namely, performing in wrestling exhibitions; providing wrestling news and information via global computer network.”
Cody’s trademark was then refused in July due to confusion with WWE’s filing. The USPTO gave Cody six months to provide proper documentation to allow his filing to continue to go through the system. WWE’s recent cancellation would now give Cody leverage in his filing. He has until January 2021 to update things on his side.
This could be a sign that we will see “Cody Rhodes” in AEW one day. The current AEW TNT Champion tweeted about the trademark situation with WWE earlier this year, and said he did not hold a grudge. He also said WWE could make “big money” off the name, based on data that both sides have access to.
“It’s not as sultry/scandalous as reported. It’s just business. They’ve seen the same data we have, and they know they can make big money off the brand(even though it’s not in their house). Trying to license me is flattering, but it doesn’t stop this train from moving. No grudge.”
Stay tuned for updates.
(H/T to HeelByNature)
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