A slam dunk trademark application? This week’s BL Business Branding Series entry covers the Cleveland Cavaliers’ fast break to register a trademark for their high-scoring “Cavalanche” ahead of their 2025 playoff run.
Earlier this month, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to secure its spot in the NBA playoffs with a 112-107 win over the Miami Heat. That same day, the team filed a trademark application with the US Patent and Trademark Office to secure the rights to “Cavalanche,” a nickname for when the team goes on a dramatic, one-sided scoring run. The trademark application looks to secure rights for use on various clothing items to be sold by the team, ranging from hoodies to baby clothes.
The Cavalanche term has grown in popularity with fans this season as the Cavs are considered among the favorites to win the NBA championship thanks to their late-game score fests. The term has also been embraced by the team and its leadership on social media, who are leaning into the team’s high-scoring reputation.
Interestingly, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not the first basketball team to get swept away in a Cavalanche. The University of Virginia’s men’s basketball team, also called the Cavaliers, initially popularized the phrase in the early 2010s during the team’s March Madness runs. But the team never filed for a trademark, leaving the door open for Cleveland to swoop in a decade later and secure the mark for itself.
What Can Businesses Learn From This?
Pursuing a trademark for your brand is the best way to secure exclusive control and protect the identity and reputation you have built. Even though UVA’s basketball team was associated with the Cavalanche term in the past, its lack of trademark registration means the mark is still legally up for grabs. Owners must also continuously use their trademarks to maintain exclusive rights. The association of the Cavalanche term and UVA has faded in the past ten years, and the team no longer sells any merchandise featuring the mark. Additionally, continuous use of a mark is required for trademark protections to remain in place. Because UVA never filed for a trademark, nor did they maintain consistent usage of the Cavalanche term in the merchandise or marketing, it should be nothing but net for the Cleveland Cavaliers to secure a trademark for their team heading into the playoff season.
For questions about how trademarks can help protect your brand’s identity, contact Seth Berenzweig at sberenzweig@berenzweiglaw.com today.