• insights-banner

    In the press

Henry Cuthbert writes for Law in Sport on Usain Bolt's move to trademark his legendary victory celebration

All of us who watched the 2008 Beijing Olympics will remember a few standout snapshots of Usain Bolt’s 100m final: a cheeky turn to see the abyss opening up between him and his fellow finalists; his outstretched arms and slap to the chest before crossing the finish line; the 9.69s on the speed-o-meter; and, of course, his famous victory celebration pose (often referenced as the “Lightning Bolt”). Whilst most people will have the image of this celebratory pose etched in their minds, the following description should help to jog (/sprint) anyone’s memory:

“The silhouette of a man in a distinctive pose, with one arm bent and pointing to the head, and the other arm raised and pointing upward.”

Whilst this is not quite poetry, it is in fact the “Description of Mark” attached to Bolt’s application to register his famous celebration pose with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The application was filed on 17 August 2022 under the legal basis of “intent to use” (section 1(b) Trademark Act 1946 (TA)), commonly referred to as the Lanham Act, and ownership of foreign registrations, namely his Jamaican registrations for the mark (section 44(e) TA). This is not the first time that he has filed for protection in the US, with his first filing made almost 12 years ago (which has since lapsed under US law as Bolt could not show that he had, in a trademark sense, actually used the mark). The UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) approved Bolt’s application back in 2009 and it remains on the register.

His recent attempt to re-register the trademark in the US begs the question: why is Bolt so keen to trademark this image?

In an article for Law in Sport, Henry Cuthbert, Associate explores the answers, looking at:

  • What does Bolt intend to use his stylised mark for?
  • Why would Bolt want the mark registered?
  • Considerations of distinctiveness when registering a celebration as a trademark (UK vs. USA)
  • Have other athletes trademarked their celebrations?
  • Practical tips for athletes

Read the full article here (subscription required).

Our thinking

  • IBA Annual Conference 2023

    Charlotte Ford

    Events

  • Mental Health Management

    Nick Hurley

    Events

  • Family and Employment law assistance in legal advice deserts

    Sarah Farrelly

    News

  • Property Patter: the latest on the Building Safety Act

    Richard Flenley

    Podcasts

  • James Souter writes for City AM on Meta pulling out of its London office

    James Souter

    In the Press

  • A Labour government: what might be in store for personal taxation?

    Sarah Wray

    Quick Reads

  • Drone deliveries: Be Prepared

    Emma Humphreys

    Quick Reads

  • Charles Russell Speechlys advises Puma Private Equity on its £3.5 million investment into TravelLocal

    David Coates

    News

  • The Evening Standard quotes Rose Carey on the increase in visa fees

    Rose Carey

    In the Press

  • Charles Russell Speechlys advises Zenzero’s management team on its majority acquisition by Macquarie Capital

    Mark Howard

    News

  • David Savage writes for Construction News on the upcoming building-control overhaul

    David Savage

    In the Press

  • Updates and points to note in relation to buy-to-let residential properties

    Twiggy Ho

    Insights

  • Felicity Chapman writes for Insider Media on alternatives to court for divorcing business owners

    Felicity Chapman

    In the Press

  • Investment Week quotes Julia Cox on the proposed scrapping of inheritance tax

    Julia Cox

    In the Press

  • Charles Russell Speechlys expands commercial offering with the appointment of Rebecca Steer

    Rebecca Steer

    News

  • The Times quotes Gareth Mills on the CMA’s preliminary approval of the Activision Blizzard-Microsoft deal

    Gareth Mills

    In the Press

  • Heritage property and conditional exemption

    Sarah Wray

    Insights

  • The misapplication of sports law and regulation in Spanish football

    Darren Bailey

    Quick Reads

  • Property Week quotes Cara Imbrailo on Rishi Sunak scrapping MEES requirements for residential landlords

    Cara Imbrailo

    In the Press

  • The Financial Times quotes Emma Humphreys on UK rental costs

    Emma Humphreys

    In the Press

  • City AM quotes Gareth Mills on the CMA’s new set of principles for regulating AI

    Gareth Mills

    In the Press

  • Hamish Perry and Mike Barrington write for The Evening Standard on whether a merger between the CBI and Make UK can work

    Hamish Perry

    In the Press

  • Silicon quotes Gareth Mills on the UK consumer lawsuit against Google

    Gareth Mills

    In the Press

  • Office to Lab Conversions: A new lease of life (sciences) for some of London’s offices?

    Georgina Muskett

    Quick Reads

  • The Family Fund: Bank of Mum & Dad 2.0

    Vanessa Duff

    Quick Reads

  • The perpetual struggle between the environment, heritage and development: the M&S decision vs 55 Bishopsgate

    Sophie Willis

    Quick Reads

  • Treasury Committee endorses mandatory venture capital diversity policies from 2025

    Lia Renna

    Quick Reads

  • Oops!....I did it again - Britney's third divorce

    Charlotte Posnansky

    Quick Reads

  • Product compliance and Brexit - UK Government concedes to CE markings indefinite recognition

    Jamie Cartwright

    Quick Reads

  • Recognising financial abuse in a relationship

    Vanessa Duff

    Quick Reads

  • Million Dollar Footballer With No Assets?

    David Carver

    Quick Reads

  • Has the Orpéa plan impaired shareholder's consent? - Le plan de sauvegarde d'Orpéa n'a-t-il pas vicié le consentement des actionnaires historiques ?

    Dimitri-André Sonier

    Quick Reads

  • Will the downturn in the Paris region property market lead property companies to turn to ad hoc proceedings, as they did in the 1990s?

    Dimitri-André Sonier

    Quick Reads

  • Les défaillances en France proches de leur niveau de 2019 - French insolvencies close to 2019 levels

    Dimitri-André Sonier

    Quick Reads

  • Making BitCoin a BitClearer

    Charlotte Posnansky

    Quick Reads

  • Casino Group: An agreement with investors and debt holders is expected at the end of July

    Dimitri-André Sonier

    Quick Reads

  • DIAC Issues First Annual Report

    Georgia Fullarton

    Quick Reads

  • One year on: "Influencer Culture: lights, camera, inaction" remains astonishingly accurate

    Caroline Swain

    Quick Reads

  • Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration publishes new Arbitration Rules

    Peter Smith

    Quick Reads

  • Key takeaways from the UK Government's "Green Day"

    Martha Glaser

    Quick Reads

Back to top