A California based sports memorabilia company, UltraPRO International, has rustled some feathers in the Internet community with its attempt to trademark the word Doge.
The move has drawn criticism both from fans of the beloved Doge meme, consisting of pictures of a Shiba Inu Japanese rescue dog, and the lucrative cryptocurrency inspired by it, Dogecoin, which according to The Daily Dot has a total market value of more than $27 million.
UltraPro filed the trademark claim with the US patent office just weeks after they announced the launch of a new line of accessories based on the Japanese dog, with a portion of the profits going towards various animal shelters throughout Japan. The application, which is still pending, is for clothing associated with the word.
Many have seen this move as a threat, putting other users of the name at risk of being sued by UltraPro if they are granted this broad trademark request. UltraPRO General Manager Jay Kuo said their motives were merely proactive and they have no intention of suing.
“We didn’t think about going after anyone with the filing, nor do we plan to, but we always file because typically people come after us,” Jay Kuo told The Daily Dot. “Our intentions were never to block out the current market for Doge products.”
“If we receive the trademark we will offer royalty-free use for any vendor who wishes to use the mark,” Kuo continued. ”If we do not receive the trademark, we will seek a reasonable license from the owner of the mark to use it, or we will pursue a different name for the line.”
Dogecoin users have since started to collaborate on ways to deter the trademark from being granted. Digital currency storage platform Moolah has already made an official statement on Twitter about their intentions to oppose the effort by UltraPRO.
The status of UltraPRO’s trademark request will not be known until July 8th, 2014, when their application is due to be published. Those who wish to file an opposition have until then to do so.
