Protect the Name on the Hull
Boat builders, engine and gear makers, charters, and marinas build brands that buyers know by model and hull. We register marine brands and model names, protect designs, and record marks with Customs against counterfeit parts.
What marine brands run into
South Florida's boatbuilding, charter, and marina economy, anchored by the Miami and Fort Lauderdale boat shows, makes marine brands a natural local market.
Builder and model names
Model names, as well as the builder's brand, often deserve their own registrations.
Federal Trademark Applications →Problem 2Copied hull and product designs
Distinctive designs can be protected as trade dress and under the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act.
Federal Trade Dress →Problem 3Charter and marina service marks
Charter, rental, and marina brands compete on names in a crowded local market.
Federal Trademark Applications →Problem 4Counterfeit marine parts and gear
Counterfeit engine parts and safety gear raise both brand and safety risks.
U.S. Customs (CBP) Recordation →Intrepid Powerboats: protecting model names and the owner community
Intrepid Powerboats, Inc., the Largo, Florida builder of premium center-console and express boats, markets its boats by model name and supports a loyal owners' community. Our team, led by Ava K. Doppelt, registered the NOMAD model name for boats and the INTREPID NATION POWERBOATS mark for the brand's apparel and textiles.
Registrations obtained by our team
Owner: Intrepid Powerboats, Inc., Largo, Florida. Click a number for the USPTO record.
| Mark | Reg. no. | Class | Filed | Registered | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOMAD | 6770298 | 12 | Sept. 28, 2018 | June 28, 2022 | Registered |
| INTREPID NATION POWERBOATS | 6445796 | 24, 25 | Nov. 4, 2020 | Aug. 10, 2021 | Registered |
Other live Intrepid registrations
- INTREPID · Reg. 3816965 · Boats · Registered 2010; renewed
- PANACEA · Reg. 4555755 · Boats · Registered 2014; renewed
- VALOR · Reg. 6155375 · Boats · Registered 2020
The approach
- Model names as brands. Boats are bought, financed, and resold by model. Registering a model name such as NOMAD protects it across dealers, listings, and the resale market.
- Beyond the boat. INTREPID NATION POWERBOATS covers the apparel and textiles that owners and fans buy, a revenue stream counterfeiters target.
- Persistence where needed. The NOMAD application took nearly four years to reach registration; staying with it secured the name for the model line.
- Next steps. New hull designs can be registered under the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act within two years of first public display.
Status from USPTO records as of October 28, 2026. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Featured with the client's permission.
Connley Fishing: protecting a South Florida offshore tackle brand
Connley Fishing builds custom fishing rods and gaffs in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, for offshore anglers targeting mahi, wahoo, kingfish, sailfish, and swordfish. Our boating trademarks team filed, prosecuted, and secured registration of the CONNLEY FISHING brand in both word and logo form, and has maintained both registrations into incontestable status.
CONNLEY FISHING: U.S. registrations
Owner: Connley Fishing LLC, Royal Palm Beach, Florida. Goods: fishing rods and fishing gaffs (Class 28). Click a number for the USPTO record.
What the team did and why
- Word mark and logo together. The word registration protects CONNLEY FISHING in any style; the logo registration protects the mark as it appears on rod blanks, gaffs, and decals.
- Goods drafted to the product. The identification, fishing rods and fishing gaffs, matches the products the company actually builds.
- Maintenance on time. Section 8 and 15 declarations were filed and accepted for both registrations, keeping them in force and making them incontestable.
- Ready to enforce. Registered marks support marketplace takedowns and U.S. Customs recordation against counterfeit rods and gaffs.
Status from USPTO records as of October 28, 2026. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Featured with the client's permission.
What we recommend for marine brands
Our five most important steps for protecting a brand in this industry, in the order most clients need them.
Register the builder brand and flagship models
Model names that are advertised and resold on their own deserve their own registrations.
Register new hull designs within two years
Vessel Hull Design Protection Act registration must be filed within two years after the design is first made public.
Record marks with CBP
Recordation helps Customs stop counterfeit engines, parts, and gear at the border.
Protect dealer and charter relationships
Dealer and charter agreements should control use of the brand and require its return when the relationship ends.
File abroad in key export markets
Register in the countries where you sell boats and parts, including Latin America and Europe.
Marine brand filings at the USPTO, 2021 to 2026
Applicants filed 2,291 U.S. trademark applications in this category from 2021 to 2025, and filings in 2025 were up 2% from 2021. 3,191 live registrations cover it today.
Applications filed per year
U.S. applications by filing date. The 2026 bar covers January to late October.
View data table
| Year | Applications filed | Registered to date | Abandoned | Registrations issued that year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 499 | 337 | 141 | 257 |
| 2022 | 419 | 273 | 121 | 268 |
| 2023 | 417 | 273 | 100 | 251 |
| 2024 | 449 | 290 | 94 | 342 |
| 2025 | 507 | 220 | 72 | 363 |
| 2026 (Jan.–Oct.) | 318 | 36 | 10 | 330 |
Applications filed and registrations issued
Applications by filing year, and registrations by the year they issued.
What happened to each year's applications
Status today of applications filed each year. Recent years are still largely pending.
How we counted. USPTO trademark records, retrieved October 28, 2026. The USPTO does not classify filings by industry, so this page counts: Applications in Class 12 whose goods mention boats, yachts, vessels, or outboard motors, and Class 39 applications for boat or yacht charter and rental. An application is counted once even if it names several qualifying classes.
Federal trade dress applications for marine products, 2021 to 2026
Trade dress applications for boats and marine products are rare. Since 2021, only five applications have sought to register the shape or configuration of a boat, a boat accessory, or a boat used for tours, and only one has registered.
Applications filed and registered, by filing year
2026 covers January to late October.
The five applications
- 2022Boat cleat attachment and accessory system (three-dimensional configuration)Class 12 · Serial 97470700Abandoned
- 2024Octagonal tiki-bar boat (three-dimensional configuration)Class 12 · Serial 98339741Abandoned
- 2025Boat seat (three-dimensional design)Class 12 · Serial 99095895Abandoned
- 2025Stretched boat in the form of a car, for sightseeing boat tours (three-dimensional configuration)Class 39 · Serial 99357509Registered Apr. 21, 2026
- 2026Octagonal tiki-bar boat, refiled (three-dimensional configuration)Class 12 · Serial 99761542Pending
How we counted. USPTO trademark records, retrieved October 28, 2026: applications filed since January 1, 2021 whose goods or services cover boats, boat parts, or boat services and whose mark description claims a three-dimensional configuration or design of the product. Logos and stylized wording are excluded. The numbers show why boat builders usually rely on hull design registration and design patents first, and on trade dress once a design has become well known.
Top five trademark registrants: Marine & Boating
The owners that received the most U.S. registrations in this category since January 2021. Counts are small: marine brands are spread across many builders, and several tie at five.
U.S. registrations issued since January 2021, by owner
Registrations issued January 2021 to October 2026 in the category described in the data section, by current owner.
View data table
| Rank | Owner | Registrations since 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hornblower Group, Inc. | 7 |
| 2 | Grand Banks Yachts Limited | 5 |
| 3 | Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha | 5 |
| 4 | Northern Ship Management AB | 5 |
| 5 | Fairline Holdco Limited | 5 |
Counts every registration in the category by its current owner, excluding broad filings that name more than six classes. Listed for information only. These companies are not clients of the firm, and their inclusion implies no affiliation.
What the law says
- Original boat hull and deck designs can be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office under the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act (17 U.S.C. Chapter 13), which gives 10 years of protection. The design must be registered within two years after it is first made public.
- Hull and product designs can also be protected as trade dress once they acquire distinctiveness, if they are not functional, and by design patents.
- Boats, motors, and parts are in Class 12; charter and rental services in Class 39; and marina and repair services in Classes 37 and 39.
Start here: a checklist for a new brand
Your checks are not saved.
Who does what for your brand
A licensed attorney is responsible for each matter, supported by paralegals and docketing staff who manage documents, deadlines, and monitoring.
Attorneys
Strategy, filings, and enforcement.
- Clearance searches and written risk opinions
- Applications drafted for marine goods and services
- Responses to USPTO refusals and oppositions
- Demand letters, licenses, and litigation
Paralegals and docketing
Files complete and deadlines met.
- Specimens, dates of use, and evidence
- Docketing of every USPTO and renewal deadline
- U.S. Customs recordation and Amazon Brand Registry
- Watch notices for new conflicting filings
Client service
Clear, bilingual, and easy to reach.
- Service in English and Spanish
- Copies of every USPTO notice, explained
- A written estimate before each filing
- Renewal reminders well in advance
Frequently asked questions
Can I protect my hull design?
Yes. Original hull designs can be registered under the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act, and distinctive designs may also qualify as trade dress or for design patents.
Do I need to register each boat model name?
Models that are marketed and resold on their own benefit from separate registrations.
How long does hull design protection last?
Ten years from the earlier of registration or first public display.
Can I stop counterfeit marine parts at the border?
Yes, by recording your registrations with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
What class are charter services in?
Class 39 for boat and yacht charter and rental. Marinas may also need Classes 37 and 39.
Do you handle design patents?
Design patents are handled by patent counsel. We coordinate trademark, trade dress, and hull design protection with them.
Talk to us about your marine brand
Tell us your brand, what you sell, and where. We will check the register, recommend the right filings, and give you a written estimate.
- Clearance searches
- Federal and Florida filings
- Enforcement and litigation
- Customs and marketplace protection