Gone To Pot: The Toronto Maple Leafs And Snoop D-Oh-Double-G In Trademark Spat

from the trademark-was-the-case-that-they-gave-me dept

Thu, Nov 17th 2016 4:44pm — Timothy Geigner

Usually, when trademark disputes get silly, the side bringing the silly is some big corporate entity and the side receiving the silly is some small group or individual with little hope of defending itself. I mean, I'm certain this trend isn't because trademark is too often used as a bully-cudgel. That's just an unfortunate coincidence.

But the trademark dispute that serves as the subject of this post is slightly different. On one side, we have the large corporate entity that you've come to expect: Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs. But MLSE's target is not some no-money lightweight. Nope, it's this freaking guy.

photo credit: Eduardo Gabriel CC BY ND

Yes, I'm talking about Snoop Dogg. Because 2016 is the universe's attempt to show us what a silly dystopia would actually look like, the Toronto Maple Leafs are attempting to block Snoop's trademark application for his medical marijuana company, Leafs By Snoop.

Rapper and entrepreneur Snoop Dogg is facing a trademark showdown with a Canadian ice hockey team over the logo of his LEAFS BY SNOOP marijuana product line. In August, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (“MLSE”), which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, requested an “extension for time to oppose” a number of trademark applications in connection with Snoop’s mark, and has subsequently followed up by filing a formal trademark opposition with the Alexandria, Virginia-based Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) – a body within the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) responsible for hearing and deciding certain kinds of trademark cases, including oppositions.

At chief issue is the use of the word "leafs", which isn't a real word, because the plural of "leaf" is "leaves." The Maple Leafs contend that they have used this non-word for all the years and that its "leafs" mark is super-distinct and unusual, such that anyone seeing its use elsewhere will think there is a connection to the hockey team. Snoop's use of the word, combined with his logo (seen below), create a likelihood of confusion for medical marijuana customers that will surely think that the Canadian hockey team is pimping weed, according to the team.

Ok, let's start off with the obvious rebuttal: "leafs" isn't anything remotely resembling highly distinctive or unusual. It's an everyday word with the letter "s" appended to it. While I was pretty sure of it, I actually had to look it up on dictionary.com to make sure it wasn't actually a word. As for the logos... come on. Not only do they not resemble one another in any meaningful way, both logos have the source identity literally spelled out within them. The chances of any customer confusion here are roughly nil, even allowing for the fact that the customers in question might be extraordinarily high.

The post goes on to note that both sides are communicating with one another to resolve this, even as the opposition was filed. It will be interesting to see what end befalls a baseless trademark suit when the other side actually has a fighting chance due to money and stature.

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Filed Under: leafs, snoop dog, trademark
Companies: leafs by snoop, maple leafs

20 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 17 Nov 2016 @ 5:12pm

...can it be January yet?
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orbitalinsertion (profile), 17 Nov 2016 @ 5:51pm

Yes so much confusion. A stylized cannabis leaf (or poinsettia) that looks more like a christmas ornament with the word "Snoop" on it might be mistaken for a really bad looking maple leaf logo belonging to... whom? Never heard of 'em. Pass the j.

And yeah "leafs" is used colloquially, or in error, all the time. No it is not unique at all. In fact, i don't even find it particularly noticeable in the Toronto maple Leafs usage context.
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- timmaguire42 (profile), 18 Nov 2016 @ 4:57am
  
  Re:
  I live in Toronto and I never even noticed that Leafs is spelled wrong. Not that I don't know how to spell, just that their "distinctiveness" is too insignificant to think about.
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Nov 2016 @ 5:58pm

I'm so confused .. I went to see a hockey game and now I have 2 bags of cheetos and some oreos
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Go5 (profile), 17 Nov 2016 @ 6:30pm

Time to breed a strain that makes you stupid high, then name it "Toronto Maple."
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Christenson, 17 Nov 2016 @ 6:34pm

Plural of Leaf
The plural of leaf is leaves, but only after about 1950. Before that, leafs was also used.

Pretty clearly, the hockey team needs some of the Dogg's product! (Barring that, a little maple syrup might help!)
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- A Non-Mouse, 18 Nov 2016 @ 5:46am
  
  Re: Plural of Leaf
  Google 'leafs or leaves'.
  
  "Per Merriam-Webster's online dictionary either is a correct plural for the word leaf. There is no differentiation between the usages."
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Pixelation, 17 Nov 2016 @ 6:59pm

Why Toronto?
I wish they would just leaf it alone.
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Nov 2016 @ 7:35pm

No doubt this is stupid. But to Canadians when someone refers to 'the Leafs' they mean the team - that could cause confusion. Someone would have to be really high to mistake one image / logo for the other though.
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- Anonymous Coward, 21 Nov 2016 @ 8:44am
  
  Re:
  
  No doubt this is stupid. But to Canadians when someone refers to 'the Leafs' they mean the team - that could cause confusion.
  
  Why would someone use "the" with Snoop's company?
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Heyman (profile), 17 Nov 2016 @ 7:47pm

The nickname of the Toronto Maple Leafs is "The Buds".
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Anonymous, 17 Nov 2016 @ 8:40pm

The year is 2021. The world is still recovering from a disastrous Trump Presidency. After a four year long train-wreck, the world has hope. After a major trademark/court victory by Snoop God, Ownership of a Canadian Hockey Team has been transferred to the Cannabis Mogul. Mr. God has announced he is renaming the team "Toronto Maple Leafs" to the Toronto Pot Leaves and will perform at this years Stanley Cup Halftime Show. Riding a zamboni
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Nov 2016 @ 9:11pm

"Ok, let's start off with the obvious rebuttal: "leafs" isn't anything remotely resembling highly distinctive or unusual. It's an everyday word with the letter "s" appended to it."

Y'all never been to trawna, have ya?

Any bud who knows anything about pot, will leave the leaves, bud.

Wonder if this dog has ever heard of Marc Emery or BC Skunk because I am not sure why he would think Canadians would want leaf over bud. He knows our beer is stronger too right?

Keep Bud light American!
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bwburke94 (profile), 17 Nov 2016 @ 9:45pm

LOL LEAFS
Maybe next time they blow a 4-1 third period lead, it's because they'll be smoking inside a hockey rink.
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- Anonymous Coward, 17 Nov 2016 @ 10:12pm
  
  Re: LOL LEAFS
  They be trippin' on the white lines
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timmaguire42 (profile), 18 Nov 2016 @ 4:53am

How funny that a Canadian organization thinks it's well known enough by Americans that Americans will think of them when they see something kinda sorta similar.

Most Americans can't even name the Premier, and we're supposed to automatically think of some corporate entity that owns a hockey team when we see a common word with a slightly wrong spelling?
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2016 @ 6:17am

Isn't it just "Snoop-D-O-Double-G" since he's spelling his name?
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I.T. Guy, 18 Nov 2016 @ 7:02am

Nobody will EVER think that when Leafs is mentioned with Snoop Dogg that is it a Maple. EVER.

"Got my mind on my Trademark and my Trademark on my mind."
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Michael, 18 Nov 2016 @ 7:46am

I thought I was going to be watching a hockey game and accidentally ended up smoking weed in an electric car at a Nissan dealership.

To make matters worse, I got the munchies, went for pancakes, and ended up with a Maple Leafs official jersey rather than syrup.

This is so confusing.
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Mark Wing, 18 Nov 2016 @ 2:09pm

I thought we were going to a Snoop Dogg concert, but we were so high, we got confused and ended up at a hockey game in Canada. Bamboozled!
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