TSR Updatez: For those of you who felt that LeBron James shouldn’t be granted the right to trademark the phrase “Taco Tuesday” because it’s been widely used by many for some time, well it seems the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office agrees.
Today, the USPTO reportedly denied LeBron’s application, citing that the popular phrase to celebrate Mexican cuisine on a Tuesday night is a “commonplace message,” and therefore fails to function as a trademark, attorney Josh Gerben tweeted.
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The USPTO has refused the TACO TUESDAY trademark application filed by Lebron James’ company LBJ Trademarks, LLC.
The refusal, issued at 6:26 PM today, finds that TACO TUESDAY is a “commonplace message” and therefore fails to function as a trademark.#TacoTuesday
My analysis???? pic.twitter.com/eKcW2l1CnH
— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) September 12, 2019
LeBron has been known to celebrate one of his fave dishes on social media. Pretty much when Tuesday night rolls around, you could count on LeBron and the James family enjoying tacos, screaming “Taco Tuesday” at the top of their lungs.
While people enjoyed LeBron’s antics, some felt his move to trademark the phrase was a step too far, being that it was something he did not invent and had been used in popular culture for years.
His plans for the phrase were reportedly for use on social media and potentially a podcast. He had already created merchandise with “Taco Tuesday” on it and even said the phrase with a certain diction.
A Mexican restaurant based in Illinois called Taco Tuesday protested the application for fear they would not be able to advertise their restaurant on social media if LeBron’s application were to be granted.
LeBron’s team did not release any official statement regarding the rejection of his Taco Tuesday trademark application.
