Kobe Bryant’s estate has filed three trademark applications for virtual goods as his family looks to protect his name in the metaverse.
The filings include “Kobe Bryant” and “Mamba Forever,” for digital items like clothing, jewelry, avatars, emotes, toys and trading cards, and “Mambacita,” in reference to his daughter Gianna.
“Theres been this avalanche of trademark filings from different companies and celebrities to protect their rights as it pertains to things in the metaverse,” said Josh Gerben, a Washington-based trademark lawyer who tracks filings by athletes and others. He said this was the first he’d seen from a basketball star.
The Bryant family has registered for numerous trademarks over the past year spanning footwear, apparel and wine under Kobe Inc., the company that owns all the basketball legend’s trademarks since his death two years ago.
The sports industry is paying increased attention to virtual goods as they become more popular. Nike Inc. opened its own digital world on the Roblox platform and acquired a digital collectibles company late last year.
Fortune’s upcoming Brainstorm Design conference is going to dive into how businesses are building experiences in the metaverse. Apply to attend the event on May 23-24 in New York.
