The New England Patriots are an American professional football team with a solid fan following and some impressive accolades to their name. The Greater Boston-based team competes in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division.
The team was founded in November 1959 by Billy Sullivan, a Boston business executive. They were originally called the “Boston Patriots” – picked as a result of local competition. The name refers to the colonists who rebelled against the British to make the USA an independent nation. The Massachusetts region is known as the heritage of the beginning of the American Revolution, thus the “Patriots”. The Boston Patriots played as a member of the American Football League (AFL) before it merged with the NFL in 1970.
The Patriots never had a true home, playing at various stadiums in Boston until they moved to Foxborough in 1971. As part of this move, the franchise changed its name to the “New England Patriots”. Home games were played at Foxboro Stadium until 2002 when they moved to the new Gillette Stadium, where they currently reside.
Owned by Robert Kraft (an American billionaire businessman) since 1994, the New England Patriots have had a successful track record, particularly after the 21st Century. They especially rose to dominance under the incredible sports dynasty of head coach, Bill Belichick, and quarterback Tom Brady – the Brady-Belichick era saw the Patriots win nearly every major Super Bowl record. They hold a joint record with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins (6), are tied with the Denver Broncos for the most losses (5), and hold the most appearances (11).
The franchise also has the largest postseason win rates (.638), the most successful seasons in a row, the longest playoff win streak, the most playoff wins (37), the most consecutive conference championship appearances (8), the most consecutive division titles (11), and the only undefeated 16-game regular season (2007). They are the ninth most valuable sports team in the world (as of 2022) and since 1994 have sold out every home game.
Famous New England Patriots Trademarks
The New England Patriots are a very successful American football team, and one of the most valuable sports teams in the world. It stands to reason that they would have a lot to gain from trademarking their assets. With 46 trademarks to their name, it appears they do recognize the importance of protecting their IP. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous New England Patriots trademarks, registered by New England Patriots LLC.
Patriots
Interestingly, the franchise’s first registered trademark was for the team’s nickname of the “Patriots”, rather than the full team name (this wasn’t trademarked until 1974). The nickname was filed in 1971, shortly after they were renamed the “New England Patriots”. They’ve updated what this trademark covers over the years, the most recent being 2021 which is still pending This wordmark applies to:
- Publications-namely, football programs
- Entertainment services-namely, football exhibitions
- Men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, namely, fleece tops and bottoms, headwear, caps, T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, tank tops, pants, jackets, golf shirts, knit shirts, jerseys, wristbands, gloves, ties, cloth bibs, sneakers, socks, sleepwear, namely, pajamas, headbands, and underwear, not provided by or used in connection with a university
- (Pending) Football helmets; downloadable software in the nature of mobile applications for displaying information relating to football exhibitions, football schedules, media guides, audio and visual recordings relating to football exhibitions, downloadable computer game, and video game software, downloadable multimedia files containing artwork, text, audio, video, games, and internet web links relating to football exhibitions; downloadable electronic publications, namely, magazines and newsletters, all in the field of football; cell phone covers; decorative magnets; magnetic coded charge cards; pre-recorded DVDs featuring the sport of football, light switch covers, downloadable computer game software, and game software disks, and mouse pads
- (Pending) Jewelry, watches, clocks, pins made of precious metal, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, charms money clips made of precious metal, rings, collectible coins, coins of precious metal, pendants, and keys chains made of precious metal
- (Pending) Posters, calendars, trading cards, magazines relating to football, newsletters relating to football, notepads, stickers, bumper stickers, pens and pencils, paper flags and pennants, and greeting cards; tickets to sports games and events, pencil cases, rub-on decorative transfers, note paper, pictorial prints, art prints, tissue paper, wrapping paper, paper table cloths, paper napkins, paper party invitations, paper party decorations, paper gift bags, paper gift boxes, collectible cards; collectible card holders and memorabilia holders in the nature of ticket holders, trading card holders, photo stands, souvenir sports event programs holders; souvenir programs for sports events; money clips of precious metals
- (Pending) Toys and sporting goods, namely, plush toys, stuffed animals, play figures, golf balls, golf bags, golf club covers, footballs, toy banks, board games relating to football, Christmas tree ornaments, toy trucks, billiard balls, dart boards, playing cards, and miniature toy helmets
New England Patriots’ original logo
The original New England Patriot’s logo was designed by Boston Globe cartoonist, Phil Bissel who frequently drew cartoons for gameday match programs. These cartoons often featured Revolutionary War characters. Owner, Billy Sullivan liked the imagery so much that he contracted Bissel to design the new logo. This featured a man facing front-on wearing a full Revolutionary Age uniform with a red, cocked hat. He is standing in an attacking position, with a hand on a football at his feet. This character became known as “Pat Patriot” and was featured on the Patriot’s helmets, regardless of the uniform worn. This logo was used from 1960-1992, only changing marginally in color throughout this time. The logo was registered for a trademark in 1972 and applies to:
- Entertainment services-namely, football exhibitions
- Entertainment services in the form of professional football games and exhibitions
- Ear warmers; gloves; headwear; jackets; scarves; shirts; sweat shirts; T-shirts; ties; tops; wristbands
- Trading cards, posters, postcards, calendars, wrapping paper, paper gift boxes, paper stickers, paper napkins, paper towels, notepads, paper hats, greeting cards, books, poster books, and magazines relating to football
- Men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing and footwear; namely, clothing sports caps, wool hats, painters caps, baseball caps, visors, headbands, ear muffs, knit face masks, belts, wristbands, T-shirts, tank tops, pajamas, golf shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, neckties, braces, bibs, jerseys, nightshirts, coats, robes, raincoats, parkas, ponchos, sneakers, gloves, scarves, snowsuits, mittens, aprons, down jackets, leather jackets, shorts, sweatpants, jeans, pants, knickers, socks, underwear, bathing suits, and leg warmers
Related: Getting your logo trademarked
New England Patriots’ new logo
The franchise changed its logo significantly in 1993 to symbolize the change in a new owner, new head coach, and new quarterback. They also wanted a logo that was easier to adapt for advertising and marketing purposes. The logo changed to just a head. His grey face is in profile and he is wearing a blue and white hat that transforms into a waving banner with red ends. A white star is featured on the front of the hat. This character was named “Flying Elvis”. It was trademarked in 2003 and applies to:
- Football helmets, telephones, cell phone covers, cell phone straps, magnetic coded charge cards, prepaid telephone calling cards, decorative magnets, compact discs, tapes, pre-recorded video tapes and DVDs featuring the sport of football, computer game software, and disks and video game cartridges, computer mouse pads, camera cases, sunglasses, eyeglass cases, eyeglass chains, light switch covers
- Posters, calendars, trading cards, series of books relating to football, magazines relating to football, newsletters relating to football, stickers, bumper stickers, credit cards without magnetic coding, note paper, paper pennants, and greeting cards; non-magnetically coded prepaid phone cards, pens and pencils, pencil cases, rub on decorative transfers, pictorial prints, picture postcards, art pictures, stationery, envelopes, stationery-type portfolios, photo albums, scrapbook albums, ring binders, checkbook covers, tissue paper, wrapping paper, playing cards, paper table cloths, paper napkins, paper party hats, paper party invitations, paper gift cards; paper gift bags, paper gift boxes, paper decorations, collectible cards; collectible card and memorabilia holders, souvenir programs for sports events
- Men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, namely, fleece tops and bottoms, caps, headwear, T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, tank tops, jeans, sweaters, pants, jackets, turtlenecks, jumpsuits, golf shirts, woven shirts, knit shirts, jerseys, wristbands, warm-up suits, swimwear, wind resistant jackets, raincoats, parkas, ponchos, gloves, ties, suspenders, cloth bibs, sleepwear, namely, robes, nightshirts, and pajamas, mittens, knit hats and caps, scarves, aprons, headbands, ear muffs, underwear, and footwear
- Toys and sporting goods, namely, plush toys, stuffed animals, play figures, golf balls, golf bags, golf clubs, golf club covers, bowling balls, bowling bags, footballs, toy banks, handheld units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; board games relating to football, Christmas tree ornaments, balloons, jigsaw puzzles, windsocks, kites, toy trucks, and replica miniature football helmets
- Education and entertainment services in the nature of organizing and presenting professional football games and exhibitions; providing sports and entertainment information via a global computer network or a commercial online service; organization of sports events; fan club services; educational services, namely, physical education programs and seminars in the field of football; entertainment services, namely, musical and dance performances provided during intervals at sports events; production of radio and television programs, football games, exhibitions, competitions and musical, comedy and dance performances performed before live audiences and broadcast via television, cable television, satellite television, and radio broadcast; producing and distributing audiovisual and multi-media presentations regarding the sport of football via a global communications network
- Football helmets, decorative magnets, pre-recorded DVD’s featuring the sport of football, computer game software and disks, mouse pads, and video game cartridges
- Jewelry, watches, clocks, ornamental pins, earrings, necklaces, charms, collectible coins, coins of precious metal, pendants, and key chains made of precious metal
- Toys and sporting goods, namely, plush toys, stuffed toy animals, play figures, golf balls, golf bags, golf club covers, footballs, toy banks, board games relating to football, Christmas tree ornaments, toy trucks, billiard balls, playing cards, and miniature toy helmets
Do Your Job
The simple phrase “Do Your Job” has become synonymous with the New England Patriots. Though the slogan is said to have originated from Kraft’s ownership, it’s now associated with head coach Bill Belichick who uses it to motivate his team. It’s used for its simplicity to encourage players to just do their job, nothing more, nothing less – clear, concise, and understandable by anyone. The Patriots use this popular phrase regularly as part of their marketing campaigns. They registered for it as a trademark in 2014 and it applies to:
- Entertainment services, namely, providing expert commentary on sports events via the Internet
- Jewelry; bracelets; rubber or silicone wristbands in the nature of bracelets; bracelets made of rubber silicone; lapel pins; pins being jewelry; ornamental pins
- Printed matter and paper materials, namely, decals
- Drinking vessels; beverageware; coffee mugs; porcelain mugs
- Brooches for clothing; ornamental novelty pins
- Clothing, namely, shirts, long-sleeved or short-sleeved T-shirts, athletic shirts, sweatshirts, hooded sweatshirts, hats, caps, and knit hats
Patriots Foundation Celebrate Volunteerism
The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation was established by Robert Kraft as a nonprofit organization in 1994 with an aim to support charitable and philanthropic agencies throughout New England. As part of this work, the Patriots Foundation set up a “Celebrate Volunteerism” initiative in 2011 to encourage more volunteering, increase awareness of opportunities and the need for volunteers as well as recognize existing volunteers. As part of their commitment to giving back to the community, the Kraft family, and current and former Patriots players, coaches, and their families have donated millions of hours to volunteer work. The Patriots registered for this illustration trademark in 2022 and it applies to:
- Charitable fundraising; distribution of charitable funds and grants to others; charitable foundation services, namely, organizing and conducting fundraising entertainment events and activities and fund-raising events to support and promote charitable organizations, activities, services, programs, and causes of others; philanthropic services concerning monetary donations, grants, and financial support for community improvement projects related to the promotion of social and economic development
Patriots Cheerleaders
Like many NFL teams, the Patriots have their own professional cheerleading squad – the New England Patriots Cheerleaders. They represent the team in the NFL, encouraging both fans and players and providing a source of entertainment during breaks. Alumni of note from the Patriots’ cheerleading squad include wrestler Carmella, and model Camille Kostek. The Patriots have a logo for their cheerleading squad – “Patriots” is written in italics with a double star above the “i”, and “Cheerleaders” is written in italic block capitals underneath. The franchise registered its cheerleading name for trademark in 2019 and it applies to:
- Entertainment services, namely, live musical, dance, and cheerleading performances at sports events, exhibitions, and other personal appearances; providing sports and entertainment information via a global computer network or via a commercial online service
Wrapping up
The New England Patriots are an incredibly successful American football team. They’ve got an impressive number of accolades to their name, including winning the Super Bowl a record six times. Not only are they a successful franchise on the pitch, but have been excellent at protecting their IP as well.
They have 46 trademarks to their name, which cover their team name, nickname, all logos, and slogans, as well as their cheerleading squad and charitable foundations and avenues. The only thing we noted that they haven’t trademarked is their team mascot, Pat Patriot. Pat has been their official mascot since 1995 and epitomizes the team’s original logo – a revolutionary minuteman wearing a Patriots home jersey with the number “one” on the back. As a team that’s worth $6.4 billion (the ninth most valuable sports team in the world), it’s worth the Patriots protecting all of their assets with USTPO to save themselves millions of dollars in potential future legal battles.
