As reported by TSN, the Buffalo Bills filed a pair of trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which seek to protect the phrase “Bills Mafia” and a logo which features the phrase.
The NFL team’s fans have described themselves informally as the "Bills Mafia" for years, the nickname owing to their notoriously boisterous tailgating celebrations and overall demeanor throughout the football season.
Del Reid, the man who has been credited with inventing the moniker, has sold “Mafia” merchandise in the past but was barred from using the term “Bills” on any of his products. As the Buffalo Bills confirmed through a video on Twitter, they are now working alongside Reid to secure the trademark and develop merchandise with the entire phrase prominently displayed.
The first trademark sought by the team is for the phrase itself, which the team will feature on a variety of clothing and other goods ranging from snow suits to neckties.
The second trademark describes a logo in which “Bills” is written vertically and “Mafia” is written horizontally beside it, with a steak running through the two “A”s in a manner similar to that of the Buffalo Bills team logo.
If these trademark applications are approved, we are likely to not only see the “Bills Mafia” phrase and logo featured throughout Bills Stadium during NFL games, but also on fans watching from the parking lot outside.
Authors: Mark Leonard and Sasha Seeber, 2020/2021 Articling Student-at-law
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