Industry giants have set off a wave of Metaverse trademark registrations

As the Metaverse receives more and more attention, many brands have fought for the Metaverse trademark, in order to protect the brand's future advantages in the Metaverse and "pave the way" for the brand's future growth.

Nike is one of the first brands to start digital and enter the metaverse. Nike registered a large number of Metaverse trademarks in November last year, including the brand logo, the brand slogan "Just Do It", the sneaker brand Air Jordan and so on. At the same time, Nike began to recruit new employees in related fields, including footwear virtual material designers. Nike also acquired RTFKT Studio, a metaverse-oriented fashion house best known for its high-end digital clothing line, in December.

In January, Skechers applied to the USPTO for eight Metaverse trademarks, including footwear, clothing, headwear, eyewear, bags, and more. These programs are used through global computer networks and various wireless networks and electronic devices, and can also be used to participate in social networks and interact with online communities.

McDonald's has also filed 10 applications for Metaverse trademark registrations, including McDonald's-owned McCafe coffee brand. In addition, McDonald's trademark applications include "a virtual restaurant featuring physical and virtual goods" and "operating an online virtual restaurant featuring home delivery." This isn't the first Metaverse-related move by McDonald's. McDonald's has partnered with fashion brand Humberto Leon to create a virtual clothing line starting January 31 this year.

Brands such as Walmart and Victoria's Secret have started applying for the Metaverse trademark. So why do major brands in the world have to register the Metaverse trademark first? There are three main factors in this.

First, in order to shape the advantages of trademarks and maintain brand competitiveness. Second, in order to prevent infringement and protect the rights and interests in the metaverse, brands need to add brand-recognizable signs to virtual goods and services.

Third, "pave the way" for the future development of the brand. For example, Nike is accelerating the digital transformation of the brand with the help of the development trend of the metaverse. In addition to registering the metaverse trademark, Nike has also established a metaverse park named "Nikeland". Its design was inspired by the actual Nike headquarters in Oregon, USA. The most interesting is the digital showroom, which offers a variety of virtual Nike sneakers, clothing and accessories, where players can dress up their virtual avatars.

A report predicts that the Metaverse will reach an $800 billion market by 2024. For brands, the Metaverse undoubtedly contains a lot of opportunities. The registration of the Metaverse trademark reflects the company's development strategy to explore emerging markets and "pave the way" for brand growth.