As the Oakland Athletics get ready to move to Las Vegas in 2028, they are facing a major legal setback. The U.S. government office that handles brand names (the USPTO) said no to their request to trademark the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics.”

According to a post on X by Yahoo Sports, it quotes “The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has denied The A’s trademarks for ‘Las Vegas Athletics’ and ‘Vegas Athletics.’ The USPTO found the trademarks ‘primarily geographically descriptive,’ meaning they are not eligible for registration.”

Essentially, the government argues that these names are too generic to be protected as unique brands. The primary issue is that the names are considered “geographically descriptive.” The trademark office believes the names merely describe where the team is and what they do, sports, rather than acting as a unique brand. Because the word “athletics” is a common term used by clothing companies, gyms, and local sports leagues, the USPTO is hesitant to give one professional team exclusive rights to it. 

To fight this, the team pointed to their long history. They argued that because they were allowed to trademark “Philadelphia Athletics,” “Kansas City Athletics,” and “Oakland Athletics” in the past, they should be allowed to do it again. 

However, the trademark office rejected this logic, stating that every new application must be judged on its own merits regardless of what happened decades ago.

Another hurdle for the franchise is that the public often refers to them as “the A’s” rather than the full “Athletics.” This makes it harder to prove that the full word is synonymous with their specific professional brand. Unlike teams with very distinct names like the Dodgers or the Yankees, the Athletics are struggling because their name is a common dictionary word used in many other contexts.

While this is a major “snag,” it likely won’t stop the move. The team still has time to appeal the decision and provide more evidence that their brand is unique. However, the clock is ticking.

John Fisher & Co. faced legal marketing challenges before their move to Las Vegas

John Fisher’s team, The Athletics, a famous MLB team founded in 1901, is currently navigating a complicated move to Las Vegas. After a long history that began in Philadelphia and included a stop in Kansas City, the team has played in Oakland since 1968. However, following years of stadium issues in the Bay Area, the franchise officially announced it would relocate to Nevada, with a brand-new stadium expected to open in 2028. 

While they wait for their new home to be built, the team is playing in Sacramento, a temporary move that has frustrated many longtime fans and local leaders. As the team prepares for this new chapter, they recently hit a major legal roadblock regarding their name. The Athletics tried to officially trademark the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics” to protect their brand and sell official merchandise. 

The U.S. government rejected the team’s application, which creates a lot of trouble for their business and marketing plans. Because they don’t have a registered trademark, the Athletics can’t easily stop other people from selling “Vegas Athletics” shirts or hats. This means the market could soon be filled with unofficial gear that the team doesn’t control.

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Moving to a new city makes it hard for the team to build a strong brand, especially since they are still moving between different locations. While the team still owns the rights to their old Oakland names and logos, these legal protections do not automatically cover their new Las Vegas identity.

To fix this, the Athletics have a few options. They could fight the decision in federal court or try to prove that the public already connects the name “Vegas Athletics” with their team by using surveys and market research.

Another choice is to simply wait until they have played in Las Vegas for a few years. By using the name for their business over a long period of time, they can eventually earn the legal protections they need. What the team choses to do we shall know with time.