LeBron’s ‘More Than an Athlete’ Trademark Win Upheld on Appeal

The Federal Circuit affirmed tribunal decisions canceling a nonprofit’s “I AM MORE THAN AN ATHLETE” trademark and dismissing its opposition to similar applications owned by LeBron James’ media company.

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board properly canceled Game Plan Inc.'s registration because Uninterrupted IP LLC had priority rights to the phrase through a deal with a company that has used the slogan for more than a decade, according a Wednesday opinion.

The court rejected Game Plan’s arguments that the transfer violated trademark antitrafficking rules because substantial evidence demonstrated the NBA star’s company and the previous owner both used the ...