In a tweet earlier today, NFT trademark attorney Michael Kondoudis revealed that Mastercard International Inc. has filed fifteen new trademark applications to register MASTERCARD, its "Circles" Logo and the PRICELESS slogan. The applications were submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 4, 2022, and cover a variety of virtual, crypto, and financial goods and services, including:
• NFT backed multimedia
• Marketplaces for digital goods and NFT backed media
• Card and payment transaction processing in the Metaverse
• E-commerce software business transactions in the Metaverse
"Mastercard is a leading financial brand, and the value attached to the brand is significant," Mr. Kondoudis says. "These filings are the next logical step to protect the Mastercard brand as it enters the Metaverse."
"Clearly, Mastercard sees the potential of the Metaverse and is preparing its trademarks and brand for the virtual economy that will dominate it," Mr. Kondoudis opined. "It is a safe bet that Mastercard expects to be a major player in that virtual economy."
American Express filed similar trademark applications last month.
Mr. Kondoudis adds that "perhaps the most interesting aspect of these applications is that they appear to continue a recent trend of NFT and Metaverse trademark filings from the financial services sector."
"We expect the number of trademark filings for NFT and virtual products and services from the financial services sector to increase in the next 12 months as brands come to appreciate the need for protection in the Metaverse," Mr. Kondoudis concluded.
Michael Kondoudis is a Washington DC-based trademark lawyer who tracks Metaverse and NFT trademark filings at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Kondoudis does not represent Mastercard International Inc.
https://www.mekiplaw.com/nft-trademark-attorney/
Links to the applications at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
PRICELESS
MASTERCARD
Mastercard Logo
About Michael Kondoudis
For more than twenty years, Michael Kondoudis has been the go-to trademarking expert for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Michael is a USPTO-licensed trademark and patent attorney, educator, speaker, and author of the Amazon best-seller: Going From Business to Brand. He is also an authority trusted by national news media on major trademark stories involving NFTs and the Metaverse. For more information, visit www.mekiplaw.com.