In tweets earlier today, metaverse trademark attorney Michael Kondoudis revealed that YUM! BRANDS, the owner of the TACO BELL, PIZZA HUT, and KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN (KFC) brands, has filed several new applications to register these trademarks for various NFT and Metaverse products and services.  The applications were submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on March 25, 2022, and signal plans to expand these brands into NFTs and virtual products and services, including:

• NFTs + multimedia with NFTs

• Virtual food and beverage products

• Retail services featuring virtual goods, food, and beverages

• Providing online virtual restaurants in virtual environments

"Clearly, Yum! Brands sees the potential of the Metaverse and is preparing its trademarks and brands for the virtual economy that will dominate it," Mr. Kondoudis opined.

Mr. Kondoudis adds that these trademark filings "follow the trend by other participants in the restaurant sector like McDonald's, Burger King, Panera Bread, and Panda Express to begin preparations to participate in the Metaverse."

Inspire Brands, Inc., the owner of the ARBY'S, BASKIN ROBBINS, BUFFALO WILD WINGS, JIMMY JOHN'S, and SONIC brands, has also filed several new trademark applications in recent days.

"We expect the number of trademark filings for NFTs and virtual products and services from the restaurant and food/beverage sectors to increase over the next twelve months as companies come to appreciate the need for brand protection in the Metaverse," Mr. Kondoudis said.

Michael Kondoudis is a Washington DC-based trademark lawyer who tracks Metaverse and NFT trademark filings at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Kondoudis does not represent Inspire Brands.

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METAVERSE TRADEMARK ATTORNEY