A few weeks ago, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James filed a request to trademark “Taco Tuesday” after a series of popular videos. However, the application filed by James’ company, LBJ Trademarks, was denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, saying that “Taco Tuesday” is “a commonplace term.”
“The applied-for mark is a commonplace term, message, or expression widely used by a variety of sources that merely conveys an ordinary, familiar, well-recognized concept or sentiment message,” the USPTO said in a statement.
“Finding ‘Taco Tuesday’ as commonplace achieves precisely what the intended outcome was, which was getting the U.S. government to recognize that someone cannot be sued for its use,” the spokesman said to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
When LeBron James gets praised for business savvy, I remind you LBJ tried to claim barbershop conversation was “his idea.” Right up there with Captain Obvious knowing Taco Tuesday would never be trademarked. 🤷♀️ https://t.co/6o3RSxHYuG
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) September 12, 2019
The USPTO also explained that numerous restaurants already used the term. They stated that “Taco Tuesday” is a “widely used message used by various parties to express enthusiasm for tacos by promoting and celebrating them on a dedicated weekday.”
LeBron started sharing videos of his family’s taco nights on his Instagram profile during this summer. They turned out to be a social media sensation, with James making unique “It’s Taco Tuesday” T-shirts. He even had a special guest appearance from his new Los Angeles Lakers teammate Anthony Davis.
H/T: ESPN
