U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is hoping that everything he touches turns to gold. He has reportedly filed a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the phrase “Jeah.”
For those wondering what the word means, Lochte has stated it means happy or good. “Like, if you have a good swim, you say, ‘Jeah.’ Like, it’s good. So, I guess … it means good,” he explained in a 2009 interview. Lochte’s trademark application indicates he wants to market the word on various consumer products, including swim goggles, sunglasses, workout videos, gift cards, jewelry, mugs, key chains, clothing, trading cards and water bottles.
Lochte joins the growing ranks of sports stars who are seeking to profit from their notoriety, or, as is often the case, prevent others from beating them to the punch. For other examples, please check out posts on NBA stars Jeremy Lin and Anthony Davis.
In this case, it appears that Lochte has won the race to the Trademark Office. However, fellow Olympian Gabby Douglas was not so lucky. A student at Fordham University has already attempted to secure a trademark for her “Flying Squirrel” nickname. Of course, under U.S. trademark law, Douglas can chose to oppose the trademark.
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