Washington, DC asked in Intellectual Property and Trademark for District of Columbia

Q: IS MVP A BRAND ?

I WANT TO SELL THE METALS WITH MVP IN AMAZON ,IT MEANS MOST Most Valuable Player ,CAN I SO IT ,IS IT infringement ?

3 Lawyer Answers
Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
Answered
  • Little Neck, NY

A: This doesn't really look like an admiralty/maritime question. You could try this - replace the Maritime category with "Trademark" under your category selection. That's the more relevant heading for brands. Not every question is answered on the forum, but you may have better chances of a response that way. Good luck

James L. Arrasmith
PREMIUM
James L. Arrasmith pro label Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
Answered

A: "MVP" as an acronym for "Most Valuable Player" is a common term used across various industries, especially sports. While the term itself is general, it's possible that specific businesses or entities might have registered trademarks for "MVP" in certain categories or industries. Before selling metals with "MVP" on Amazon or elsewhere, you should conduct a thorough search on the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database to check if "MVP" is trademarked in the relevant categories. If there's an existing trademark that would conflict with your intended use, you risk infringement. Even if no direct conflict is found, consider the broader context: if your branding could confuse consumers regarding the source or affiliation of the products, it may still be problematic. To ensure you're proceeding correctly and mitigating potential legal risks, consulting with an attorney experienced in trademark law is advisable.

Jason C Palmer
Jason C Palmer
Answered
  • Trademarks Lawyer
  • Hermitage, TN

A: MVP could be a brand. You would need to conduct trademark searching to determine if anyone owns the mark (or one likely to be confused with it) in connection with goods identical or similar to your medals. An experienced attorney can help with this.

Whether you can use MVP on the medals also depends on how you are using it. If you are using MVP as a brand name for your medals to identify the source or quality of your medals, you are using it in a trademark way. This is more likely to give rise to infringement liability. However, if you are using MVP as a designation for the wearer of the medal to signify their worth as an athlete, you are not using MVP in a trademark way. That would instead be an ornamental use of MVP, which is less likely to give rise to infringement liability.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.