Nike has hit an early roadblock in its efforts to expand Bronny James personal brand, with the companys trademark application for his B9 logo officially denied by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.The application was rejected due to a likelihood of confusion with an already registered mark owned by Texas-based apparel company Back9 Golf Apparel, according to USPTO documents.Both logos are tied to clothing and apparel, which ultimately played a key role in the decision.The marks are similar in appearance, sound and commercial impression, examining attorney P. Scott Craven wrote in the refusal letter. In addition, the marks are essentially phonetic equivalents and, thus, sound similar.Nike initially filed the trademark in February, introducing a stylised version of Bronny James B9 logo that has already been featured on Bronnys on-court sneakers this season. The brand even released official images of the design earlier this month, signalling a clear push to establish the identity commercially.However, Back9s claim to the space dates back several years. The company began using its version of the B9 mark in 2020, filed for protection in 2021, and secured official registration in 2022, giving it a significant legal advantage in this dispute.Despite the setback, there is still a path forward for Nike. Trademark attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben IP believes the company has options, though none come easy.Nike, do they have a 50-50 shot of that kind of argument, being that the designs are so unique that these are not going to get confused in the marketplace? These are very distinct logos, so they do have that going for them, Gerben said. I think it gives them an argument to make, but it is a little bit of an uphill battle here, I think.Gerben added that the situation could still worsen depending on how things unfold.Related Article: Anthony Davis Gets Honest About His Future at the WizardsThe refusal makes sense, Gerben said. This is not out of left field. Technically, this is a sound refusal by the government. Nike has got its work cut out for them to work around it.READ MORE: Anthony Davis Gets Honest About His Future at the Wizards
