Nike Inc. is seeking to trademark its brands for various virtual goods in the U.S., including shoes and clothing, as digital products become more popular.
The Beaverton, Oregon-based sportswear giant filed seven requests with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in late October to protect its marks in categories including “downloadable virtual goods” and related services for retail stores and entertainment.
Digital items listed in the filings include headwear, eyewear, bags, backpacks and sports equipment under both the Nike and Jordan brands, with their logos the Swoosh and the Jumpman and the “Just Do It” tagline. The applications are on an intent-to-use basis, and won’t be finalized until they’re in commercial use.
Virtual goods including apparel are gaining more interest as consumers scoop up items like digital art and video-game skins—decorations like outfits and accessories for virtual characters—for popular titles including Fortnite and NBA 2K.
Brands have also been selling digital assets like nonfungible tokens, which are digital goods that are authenticated through blockchain technology. A Dolce & Gabbana NFT collection fetched about $5.7 million at auction in October.
A representative for Nike didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.
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