The Chicago Cubs are a Chicago-based American professional baseball team. The Cubs play in the National League Central division and are a Major League Baseball team. The Cubs play at Wrigley Field for their home games. Wrigley Field is located on Chicago’s North Side.
The Cubs were a founding member of the NL; they were first known as the ‘White Stockings’ (from 1876) but became the ‘Chicago Cubs’ in 1903. The Cubs have a unique history, they’ve played in the World Series 11 times, and the 1906 Cubs won 116 games, finishing 116-36 and posting a record-winning score before losing to the Chicago White Sox. They won the World Series back-to-back in 1907 and 1908, becoming the first MLB team to play in three consecutive world series and win it twice. More recently, the Cubs won the 2016 National League Championship and 2016 World Series ending a 71-year drought in the National League pennant and a 108-year World Series drought (two record droughts in MLB). The 108-year drought was the longest occurrence of all Major North American Sports. Since 1969, the Cubs have appeared in the postseason 11 times.
The Cubs are known as the ‘North Siders’, a reference to the team home on the North Side of Chicago. In contrast, the White Sox (who play at Guaranteed Rate Field) are ‘South Siders’. In 2008 the Chicago Cubs celebrated their 10,000th win in a match against the Colorado Rockies. As of 2021, the franchise’s all-time record is 11,087–10,521.
Famous Chicago Cubs trademarks
Being a founding member of the NL, they have a unique history and reputation, translating to a unique brand. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous trademarks registered under the Chicago Cubs Baseball Club, LLC.
Cubs logo
The Cubs logo (1947) is one of the first trademark registrations ever submitted by the Chicago Cubs. It consists of a large ‘C’ surrounded by a circle, completing the lower-case word ‘Cubs’. The trademark registration was submitted in 1974 for use in:
- Goods and services, cigarette lighters, and accessories
- Baseball games and live exhibitions
- Chewing gum
- Toys and sporting goods
- Baseball gloves
- T-shirts, pajamas, jerseys, sweatshirts, and other clothing
- Baseball trading cards, posters, decals
- Accessories and jewelry
- Decorative display boards and cushions
- Drinking cups
Wrigley Field, Home of the Chicago Cubs logo
The Wrigley Field logo consists of a billboard design with the words ‘Wrigley Field Home of the Chicago Cubs‘. It was registered for use in 1989 and applies to:
- Paper goods and printed matter
- Clothing for men, women, and children
- Entertainment services related to baseball exhibitions
- Key tags and keychains
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs team name is one of the most important trademarks on this list. It was first registered in the 1970s following its first use in 1906. It’s registered for use in:
- Baseball games, exhibitions, and events
- Baseball trading cards, posters, and decals
- Towels, flashlights
- Clothing and fabrics
Cubs Care
Many MLB teams have a charity arm focused on helping those in the local community. Cubs Care is the charitable and philanthropic arm of the Chicago Cubs dedicated to improving the lives of young people and youth across Chicago. The trademark for ‘Cubs Care’ was registered in 1992 for use in:
- Fundraising and distributing funds via charitable events
Cubbies
Following its first use in 1996, the wordmark ‘Cubbies’ was trademarked for use in:
- Clothing and merchandise including hats, caps, jerseys, and sweatshirts
C logo
The ‘C’ logo is used in various merchandise and as the basis of other logos; it was officially registered in the 1970s for use in several categories, including:
- Baseball games, exhibitions, and events
- Posters, decals, and baseball trading cards
- Baseball caps and accessories
- Paper goods and printed matter, including newsletters, magazines, etc.
- Accessories and jewelry
- Stuffed toys, puzzles, dolls, darts, miniature figures, board games, and other toys
- Christmas tree ornaments and decorations
- Baseballs, baseball accessories, and other sporting goods
Read more: Trademarking your logo
Cubs
The word ‘Cubs’ forms a central part of the Chicago Cubs brand and has been trademarked in several categories, including:
- Entertainment services, including baseball games, competitions, exhibitions, and more
- Radio and TV broadcasting related to baseball
- Organizing sports and cultural events in the community
- Providing online newsletters related to baseball
- Stuffed toys, dolls, darts, puzzles, board games, and other toys
- Christmas trees and ornaments
- Athletic bags, overnight bags, and luggage bags
- Paper goods and printed matter such as trading cards, posters, printed baseball game programs, magazines, and books featuring baseball
- Writing pads, stationery folders, and other writing equipment
- Calendars, greeting cards, postcards
- Paperweights and letter openers
- Sunglasses
- Decorative helmets
- Computer games, software, and accessories
- Pre-recorded tapes related to baseball
Chicago Orphans
The Chicago Cubs acquired the ‘Chicago Orphans’ trademark in 2010 for use in:
- Clothing, particularly T-shirts and shirts
Chicago logo
The ‘Chicago’ logo is simple and consists of the word ‘Chicago’ in a stylized font. It’s often used in Chicago Cub merchandise. The trademark application was submitted in 2010 following its first use in 1996, and it’s registered in:
- Clothing, including jerseys, bottoms, and infant wear
That’s Cub
Following its first use in 2017, the ‘That’s Cub’ trademark was registered for use in several categories, including:
- Entertainment services, including baseball exhibitions and athletic events
- Educational services related to baseball and softball camps
- Conducting seminars pertaining to baseball
- Online entertainment services including news, information, webcasts, and podcasts
- Costumed mascots and cheerleaders
- Playing cards
- Organizing community sports and cultural events
- Clothing, namely footwear, and T-shirts
Wrigley Field Smokies
You can’t have a sports event without food and drink – Wrigley Field Smokies is a brand of special hotdogs consisting of smoked beef sausages. As of 2015, the ‘Wrigley Field Smokies’ trademark is registered for use in the following categories:
- Food, including hotdogs
Win Flag
The blue ‘W’ logo is a recognizable part of the Chicago Cubs branding – it consists of a blue ‘W’ on a white background. It‘s known as the ‘Win Flag’, and it‘s flown above the Wrigley Field stadium if the Chicago Cubs win; it‘s also a key part of branding and merchandise, etc. The Win Flag logo has been registered in several categories following its first use in 1986. It’s registered for use in:
- Entertainment services, including baseball exhibitions, games, and events
- Organizing and conducting various athletic events
- Cloth pennants, flags, and banners
- Clothing for men, women, and children
- Accessories and jewelry
- All-purpose bags, including sports bags and athletic bags
- Providing news and information in the field of sports
- Toys and sporting goods, including golf balls, baseball bats, plush toys, playing cards, etc.
CHCG CBS
One of the more recent trademark applications submitted by the Chicago Cubs is the abbreviation ‘CHCG CBS’. The application is pending, but if approved, it’s expected to apply to:
- Headwear, jerseys, footwear, shorts, athletic clothing, and other clothing
Wrapping up
Trademark law gives trademark owners the framework to protect their intellectual property – in order to benefit from trademark protection, you should consider your unique branding and submit a trademark filing with the USPTO. According to Forbes’s latest estimate, the Chicago Cubs are worth more than 3 billion USD, and they‘ve been ranked the 17th most valuable sports team in the world; with this in mind, they have a vested interest in protecting their unique brand and have registered 50+ trademarks as of 2022.
