The Dallas Mavericks – often referred to as “Mavs”, are a US-based professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavs compete in the NBA (National Basketball Association) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. The Mavs play their home matches at the American Airlines Center.
In 1979, Don Carter and Norm Sonju requested the right to bring an NBA franchise to Dallas, and at the 1980 NBA All-Star Game, the Mavs were admitted. Fans voted on the team name by sending in postcards, and Maverick won, beating strong contenders Wranglers and Express.
In the team’s history, the Mavs have won one NBA championship, four division titles, and two conference championships. Since their inception, they have found consistent popularity, and hold the longest-running sellout streak in all major league sports, having sold out 731 consecutive games.
In 2000, entrepreneur Mark Cuban bought the franchise and became renowned for being one of the league’s most flamboyant and outspoken owners. After the purchase, Cuban upgrade the facilities and made Dallas a spot that free agents wanted to go to for the first time in years.
The team went under a redesign in 2001. More cohesive with the iconic American Football team the Dallas Cowboys, the Mavs updated their logos and uniforms. But, after a game in 2003 where the team wore an all-silver uniform, which fans considered “trash bags”, the team had rapper P. Diddy redesign the alternate uniform to the green uniforms still used today.
Famous Dallas Maverick trademarks
The Dallas Mavericks own a variety of trademarks and intellectual property for images, words, and phrases. The team colors of black, silver, and white are a consistent color scheme across their uniforms and logos. Their logos are also recognizable for having a basketball featured alongside the team name and mascot.
The Mavs are currently ranked 8th on the Forbes annual list of NBA’s most valuable franchises, valued at $3.3 billion. Let’s take a look at some of the most well-known Mavericks trademarks.
Dallas Mavericks team name and logo
The most significant trademark for the Dallas Mavericks is the team name and logo. The Dallas Mavericks trademark was first registered in 1980. However, due to the redesign in 2001, further trademarks with the new team logo were filed in 2000. Between the years of 2002-2003, various trademarks for the logo and wordmark were registered and applied to:
- Entertainment services in the nature of professional basketball games and exhibitions
- T-shirts, sweatshirts, footwear, shorts, trousers, jersey dresses, and other clothing items
- Basketball shoes, basketball sneakers, sports shirts, rugby shirts, warm-up suits, and other sport-related clothing
- Wind-resistant jackets, parkas, coats, and jackets
- Cheerleading dresses and uniforms, swimwear, wet suits, and other swim-related clothing
- Beach sandals, sandals, beach hats, sun visors, swim caps, and novelty headwear with attached wigs
- Hats, caps, belts, ties, headbands, wristbands, and other accessories
- Basketball trading cards, dance team trading cards, mascot trading cards, and entertainment trading cards
- Stickers, decals, commemorative basketball stamps, trading discs, memo boards, clipboards, postcards, note cards, memo pads, pens, pencils, stationery folders, notebooks, and other stationery items
- Posters, calendars, bumper stickers, book covers, and wrapping paper
- Children’s activity books, statistical books, guide books, reference books, magazines, newsletters, and other paper products
- Bags for athletics, shoes, travel, luggage, and other bags
- Wallets, canes, umbrellas, business card cases, and dog tags
- Toys, games, and sporting goods, including basketballs and basketball accessories, golf accessories, board games, dolls, jigsaw puzzles, and video arcade game machines
- Entertainment and educational services in the nature of ongoing television and radio programs in the field of basketball and rendering live basketball games and basketball exhibitions
- Website featuring television highlights, video, radio, and audio recordings and streams, online magazines, newsletters, online catalogs featuring basketball-themed products, online polls surveys, non-downloadable access to view television highlights, and other online computer services
- Cybercasting services in the nature of online chatrooms and electronic bulletin boards
- Online retail for goods and services
Mavs
The team nickname “Mavs” is used most commonly when referring to the team. This popularity meant that the protection of this phrase was significant, especially for commercial use. The Mavs trademark was first registered in 2009 and applies to:
- Entertainment and educational services for video and radio
- Production and distribution of television broadcasts of basketball games, events, and programs
- Clinics and camps for a variety of purposes, including basketball, coaches, and dance teams
- Entertainment services in the nature of personal appearances by a costumed mascot or dance team at basketball games and exhibitions, clinics, camps, promotions, and other basketball-related events, special events, and parties; fan club services
- A website featuring non-downloadable content including television highlights, video, radio, and audio recordings and highlights, news, statistics, trivia, and a variety of games
- Providing an online computer database in the field of basketball
There is currently another application in place but is still pending registration. This applies to:
- Entertainment services in the nature of professional basketball games and exhibitions
- Clothing, namely T-shirts, sweatshirts, footwear, shorts, trousers, jersey dresses, and other clothing items
- Basketball shoes, basketball sneakers, sports shirts, rugby shirts, warm-up suits
- Wind-resistant jackets, parkas, coats, and jackets
- Hosiery, undergarments, boxer shorts
- Cheerleading dresses and uniforms, swimwear, wet suits, and other swim-related clothing
- Beach sandals, sandals, beach hats, sun visors, swim caps, and novelty headwear with attached wigs
- Hats, caps, belts, ties, headbands, wristbands, and other accessories
Champ
The Dallas Mavericks mascot “Champ” is one of the official team mascots. Champ is an anthropomorphic horse with blue fur and a white mane and tail that wears a basketball ball uniform. Champ made his debut during the 2002-03 season, and the trademark was registered in 2005 and applies to:
- Entertainment services in the nature of personal appearances by a costumed mascot at basketball-related events, special events, and parties
- Fan club services
- Entertainment and educational services in the nature of ongoing television and radio programs in the field of basketball
- Entertainment services that are provided through a website featuring basketball news, information, statistics, trivia, highlights, video, radio, and audio recordings
- Computer, video, interactive, scared, and various other games in the field of basketball
The Mavs Foundation
The Mavs Foundation is a 501(c) (3) private foundation affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team, established in 1996. The Foundation provides grant funding to nonprofit organizations that help women, children, and families in need. The trademark applies to:
- Fundraising, providing educational scholarships and grants to individuals and organizations
- Charity services in the field of monetary grants to individuals and organizations
Horse and basketball logo
In 2019, a variation of the Dallas Mavericks logo was registered, featuring a horse head enclosed within a basketball design. This trademark applies to:
- T-shirts, sweatshirts, footwear, shorts, trousers, jersey dresses, and other clothing items
- Basketball shoes, basketball sneakers, sports shirts, rugby shirts, warm-up suits, and other sport-related clothing
- Wind-resistant jackets, parkas, coats, and jackets
- Cheerleading dresses and uniforms, swimwear, wet suits, and other swim-related clothing
- Beach sandals, sandals, beach hats, sun visors, swim caps, and novelty headwear with attached wigs
- Hats, caps, belts, ties, headbands, wristbands, and other accessories
- Jewelry, costume jewelry; beaded jewelry, wristbands, beads for use in the manufacture of jewelry, earrings, necklaces, rings bracelets, cufflinks, pendants, and other jewelry items
- Clocks, watches, and other watch accessories
- Jewelry boxes, tie clips, medallions, non-monetary coins of precious metal, key chains; key rings, decorative key fobs, and other items of precious metals
Wrapping up
Any brand is at significant risk if they do not protect its unique brand from infringement. By registering your trademarks with the USPTO, you can save possibly millions of dollars – and legal headaches!
As one of the most valuable franchises in the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks have a need to protect a significant amount of their brand, both with phrases, slogans, and logos. With 32 trademarks growing, there are still opportunities for the Mavs to expand and add to their trademark portfolio. For example, their other team mascot “MavsMan” – part man, part basketball wears a Dallas Mavericks basketball uniform, and appears alongside Champ at basketball games and public appearances – hasn’t been trademarked.
