Corporate America has finally taken notice of Web3: US trademark lawyer

This year saw an influx of trademark applications filed by various companies looking to get in on the Web3 action. By November, a total number of 4999 US trademark applications had been filed for cryptocurrencies and digital related goods/services — this according to USPTO licensed trademark attorney, Mike Kondoudis. 

According to the USPTO licensed trademark attorney, the future of the Web3 ecosystem looks “bright” and that “mainstream adoption is inevitable.”  Learn more about the impact of Web3 trademark applications filed on the future of the Web3 ecosystem in Cointelegraph’s interview with Mike Kondoudis below.

Cointelegraph covered a wide range of trademark application stories in 2022, ranging from luxury brands such as Hermès, to car brands like Ford, all making a bid for the Web3 ecosystem.  In our interview, Mike Kondoudis revealed that he was surprised by scope and mix of companies that filed trademark applications for the Web3 ecosystem.

Q: What surprised you most about filed trademark applications for the Web3 space this year? Any interesting observations from your perspective?

One of the biggest surprises is the disparate sectors represented in this year’s Web3 trademark applications. We saw filings by grocery stores, pet food brands, sports teams and leagues, cities and landmarks, casinos/gaming companies, and even game shows. This was the year that Web3 seemed to get the attention of corporate America.

Q: Were you surprised by the kind of companies that filed trademark applications for the Web3 ecosystem? Do you have any statistics on the type of companies that filed the most trademarks for the Web3 space? (- eg: was it food companies, booze companies, or car companies?) 

Yes, there were some surprises this year and the wave of new Web3 trademark applications included some curious trademark applications. For example, we saw Web3 trademark filings by car rental companies. It is not entirely clear how much of a market there may be for virtual car rentals or rental car NFTs in the metaverse.

At the same time, we saw some sectors that were saturated – all of the major players filed Web3 trademark applications. Some of these sectors include fast-food, financial services, clothing/apparel, luxury goods, and footwear.