Reese’s Bayou Barbie trademark bid denied
Will Ferrell, sitting up in his high-rise office, said “no” to Angel Reese’s Bayou Barbie trademark.
OK, not literally, but due to Mattel’s trademarks for the Barbie doll brand, the LSU basketball star can’t trademark her own nickname.
NIL website On3 reported on Wednesday that Reese’s trademark application was denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in November due to “likelihood of confusion.” According to the publication, Reese’s legal team – including attorney Darren Heitner, who filed the request – decided not to submit further evidence bolstering the case for a Bayou Barbie trademark. The 90day window to respond to the denied trademark has now expired and the case is closed.
According to the legal filing, Reese, who won the Tigers’ first women’s basketball national championship last year, was hoping to sell merchandise that said “Bayou Barbie” on it. Her trademark request stated she wanted to use the name for “Clothing, namely, shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, socks, underwear, tank tops, shorts, pants, jeans, belts, hats, shoes, bathing suits, cover ups.”
The trademark that Barbie has also covers essentially the same items among its extensive list.
“We discussed internally and determined that it was in Angel’s best interest to not unnecessarily instigate Mattel,” Heitner said. “While initially it seemed worthy to obtain the registration, Angel has pivoted away from selling Bayou Barbie merchandise.”
Reese has used the nickname because of LSU’s proximity to the natural water features and her fun sense of style, including using eyelash extensions and painting her nails pink.