Tom Brady Denied 'Tom Terrific' Trademark by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Tom Brady's request to trademark "Tom Terrific" has been denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Brady filed the application in June, but the office refused it on Thursday citing false connection and name of a living individual. Hall of Famer and Mets legend Tom Seaver already goes by the nickname "Tom Terrific." The Patriots quarterback has six months to respond to the rejection, otherwise his request will be abandoned.
"The nickname TOM TERRIFIC points uniquely and unmistakably to Tom Seaver, and the fame or reputation of Tom Seaver as "Tom Terrific" is such that a connection between Mr. Seaver and the applied-for goods would be presumed," the letter said.
Brady's application upset Mets fans earlier this summer and he had to clear the air on why he filed the trademark request.
"It's unfortunate," he said. "I was actually trying to do something—because I didn't like the nickname—and I wanted to make sure no one used it, cause some people wanted to use it. I was trying to keep people from using it and then it got spun around to something different than what it was. Good lesson learned and try to do things a little different in the future."
Seaver played for the Mets for 12 seasons during his 20-year major league career. He won three National League Cy Young Awards and the 1969 World Series with New York.
