In a tweet today, metaverse trademark attorney Michael Kondoudis revealed that The Professional Golfers' Association of America (better known as the PGA) has filed a new trademark application for its iconic swinging golfer silhouette logo. The application was submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on May 25, 2022, and signals the PGA's plans to offer:

• Downloadable virtual goods, namely, computer programs for the creation and trade of digital collectibles, represented by non-fungible tokens via a blockchain network;

• Downloadable computer software for managing digital collectible services, a market for transactions, and a registry using blockchain-based software technology and smart contracts for digital collectibles

• Providing non-downloadable digital collectibles, represented by non-fungible tokens via a blockchain network

"This filing appears to be a first or at least one of the first by a major professional sports league to trademark its name or logo for NFT and metaverse related products and services," Mr. Kondoudis observed.

"This filing reflects the PGA's current strategy for moving into the metaverse. It clearly has plans to participate in the virtual economy that will drive it," Mr. Kondoudis said.

"The PGA's trademark filing will surely be of interest to participants in the professional sports leagues and beyond. This filing may signal the start of a new trend by professional sports leagues to trademark their names and logos for NFT and metaverse related products and services," Mr. Kondoudis opined.

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 The Professional Golfers' Association of America.

https://www.mekiplaw.com/metaverse-trademark-attorney/

*Link to The Application at the USPTO : https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=97427653&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch