Own Your Name Before Someone Else Sells It
Athletes, influencers, and creators build brands around a name, a nickname, a logo, or a catchphrase. We register those marks, police unauthorized merchandise and endorsements, and structure the licenses that let others use them on your terms.
What NIL and personal brands run into
Florida's universities, professional teams, and creator economy make South Florida one of the most active NIL markets in the country.
Merchandise using your name or nickname
Unlicensed shirts, hats, and online stores appear as soon as a name becomes popular. A registration supports takedowns and counterfeiting claims.
Federal Trademark Applications →Problem 2Unauthorized use of your likeness
Ads and endorsements that use your name, photo, or likeness without consent violate Florida's right-of-publicity statute.
Cease-and-Desist Letters →Problem 3Lookalike accounts and domains
Fake social media accounts and domains that use your name divert fans and deals.
Domain Name Disputes (UDRP) →Problem 4Licensing deals without IP terms
Collective, brand, and agency deals often take broad rights to your name. Ownership and approval terms belong in the contract.
Federal Trademark Applications →Fernando Mendoza: building a trademark portfolio before draft day
Before the Las Vegas Raiders made Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026, our NIL protection team filed a federal trademark portfolio for him through his company, Mendoza IP Holdings, LLC.
From first filing to draft day and beyond
Each dot is one application. The draft took place on April 23, 2026.
- Mar. 27●●
First filings: FERNANDO MENDOZA and MENDOZA for athletic apparel.
- Apr. 16●●●●●●●●●●●●
Twelve applications in one day: FERNANDO, MENDOZA 15, HE15MENDOZA, and FLIPPIN', each in apparel, endorsements, and football entertainment services.
- Apr. 20●●●●
Three days before the draft: MENDOZA and FERNANDO MENDOZA for endorsements and entertainment services.
- Apr. 23★
No. 1 overall pick, 2026 NFL Draft.
- Jun. 8●
NANDOLORIAN, a nickname mark, for athletic apparel.
- Sept.–Nov.◆
Applications approved and published for opposition in waves on Sept. 8, Sept. 22, Oct. 6, Oct. 13, and Nov. 3.
Where the 19 applications stand today
Status at the USPTO as of October 28, 2026.
- 8 cleared the opposition period, proceeding to notice of allowance
- 4 published, opposition period still open
- 2 approved, awaiting publication
- 5 in examination after a USPTO office action
The portfolio
Seven marks, each filed where it matters most for a professional athlete.
- Class 25: athletic apparel and merchandise
- Class 35: endorsement services and promotion of memorabilia and collectibles
- Class 41: entertainment services of a professional football player
How the team worked
- Ownership first. Every application was filed in the name of Mendoza IP Holdings, LLC, a Florida company that holds the marks and can license them to sponsors, teams, and merchandise partners.
- The full name set. The team covered the full name, the first name, the surname, the jersey-number marks MENDOZA 15 and HE15MENDOZA, the catchphrase FLIPPIN', and later the nickname NANDOLORIAN.
- Filed ahead of the spotlight. All but one application was on file before draft night, on an intent-to-use basis, so the filing dates predate the attention that comes with the No. 1 pick.
- Three classes for each core mark. Apparel, endorsements, and entertainment services match how a professional athlete's name is actually used and licensed.
- Prosecution on schedule. 12 of the 19 applications were approved and published within about five to six months of filing. The remaining five applications, for the FERNANDO and MENDOZA name marks, are working through USPTO office actions.
View all 19 applications
| Serial no. | Mark | Class | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99728286 | FERNANDO MENDOZA | 25 · Clothing | Mar. 27, 2026 | Published Oct. 6; opposition period ends Nov. 5 |
| 99728279 | MENDOZA | 25 · Clothing | Mar. 27, 2026 | In examination; USPTO office action issued |
| 99767540 | FERNANDO | 25 · Clothing | Apr. 16, 2026 | In examination; USPTO office action issued |
| 99767560 | FERNANDO | 35 · Endorsements and marketing | Apr. 16, 2026 | Opposition period closed Oct. 8, no opposition filed; proceeding to notice of allowance |
| 99767590 | FERNANDO | 41 · Football entertainment services | Apr. 16, 2026 | In examination; USPTO office action issued |
| 99767451 | MENDOZA 15 | 25 · Clothing | Apr. 16, 2026 | Opposition period closed Oct. 22, no opposition filed; proceeding to notice of allowance |
| 99767480 | MENDOZA 15 | 35 · Endorsements and marketing | Apr. 16, 2026 | Opposition period closed Oct. 22, no opposition filed; proceeding to notice of allowance |
| 99767506 | MENDOZA 15 | 41 · Football entertainment services | Apr. 16, 2026 | Published Oct. 13; opposition period ends Nov. 12 |
| 99767380 | HE15MENDOZA | 25 · Clothing | Apr. 16, 2026 | Opposition period closed Oct. 22, no opposition filed; proceeding to notice of allowance |
| 99767394 | HE15MENDOZA | 35 · Endorsements and marketing | Apr. 16, 2026 | Opposition period closed Oct. 22, no opposition filed; proceeding to notice of allowance |
| 99767409 | HE15MENDOZA | 41 · Football entertainment services | Apr. 16, 2026 | Published Oct. 13; opposition period ends Nov. 12 |
| 99767318 | FLIPPIN' | 25 · Clothing | Apr. 16, 2026 | Opposition period closed Oct. 22, no opposition filed; proceeding to notice of allowance |
| 99767329 | FLIPPIN' | 35 · Endorsements and marketing | Apr. 16, 2026 | Opposition period closed Oct. 22, no opposition filed; proceeding to notice of allowance |
| 99767359 | FLIPPIN' | 41 · Football entertainment services | Apr. 16, 2026 | Published Oct. 13; opposition period ends Nov. 12 |
| 99773740 | FERNANDO MENDOZA | 41 · Football entertainment services | Apr. 20, 2026 | Approved; publication scheduled Nov. 3 |
| 99773747 | FERNANDO MENDOZA | 35 · Endorsements and marketing | Apr. 20, 2026 | Opposition period closed Oct. 8, no opposition filed; proceeding to notice of allowance |
| 99773758 | MENDOZA | 41 · Football entertainment services | Apr. 20, 2026 | In examination; USPTO office action issued |
| 99773762 | MENDOZA | 35 · Endorsements and marketing | Apr. 20, 2026 | In examination; response to office action filed |
| 99871181 | NANDOLORIAN | 25 · Clothing | Jun. 8, 2026 | Approved for publication |
Status from USPTO records as of October 28, 2026. Applications filed on an intent-to-use basis receive a notice of allowance after the opposition period closes; registration follows once a statement of use is filed. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Featured with the client's permission.
What we recommend for NIL and personal brands
Our five most important steps for protecting a brand in this industry, in the order most clients need them.
File for your name, nickname, and signature mark early
File on an intent-to-use basis for the goods and services you will actually offer, such as apparel, entertainment services, and endorsements, before your profile rises.
Keep ownership in your own entity
Register the marks in a company you control, then license them to brands and collectives. Do not let an agency or sponsor file for your name.
Write approval rights into every deal
Each license should define the marks, the products, quality control, approval of uses of your likeness, and what happens to inventory when the deal ends.
Secure your handles and domains
Claim matching domains and social handles, and keep evidence of when you started using each one.
Act quickly against fakes
Send demand letters and platform reports as soon as unauthorized merchandise or ads appear. Delay weakens your position and lets copies spread.
NIL and personal brand filings at the USPTO, 2021 to 2026
Applicants filed 1,040 U.S. trademark applications in this category from 2021 to 2025, and filings in 2025 were up 16% from 2021. 1,215 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 | 215 | 133 | 55 | 93 |
| 2022 | 206 | 118 | 71 | 90 |
| 2023 | 172 | 98 | 37 | 112 |
| 2024 | 197 | 86 | 48 | 148 |
| 2025 | 250 | 73 | 34 | 127 |
| 2026 (Jan.–Oct.) | 138 | 7 | 3 | 122 |
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 25, 35, or 41 whose goods and services mention personal appearances, professional athletes, social media influencers, motivational speakers, or autographs. Many personal brands file without such wording and are not counted, so the true number is higher. An application is counted once even if it names several qualifying classes.
Top five trademark registrants: Name, Image & Likeness (NIL)
The owners that received the most U.S. registrations in this category since January 2021. Counts are small because most personal brands hold only one or two registrations; several owners tie at four.
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 | Union des Associations Européennes de Football (UEFA) | 7 |
| 2 | Inked Entertainment Ltd | 5 |
| 3 | Intellectual Property, LLC | 5 |
| 4 | Gutter Labs LLC | 4 |
| 5 | GTD Promotions LLC | 4 |
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
- Florida's student-athlete NIL statute, § 1006.74, took effect July 1, 2021. Amendments in 2023 removed most of its earlier limits on compensation and institutional involvement.
- Florida's right-of-publicity statute, § 540.08, bars unauthorized commercial use of a person's name, photograph, or likeness, separately from trademark law.
- A personal name can be registered once it functions as a brand. The USPTO requires the written consent of a living individual whose name or likeness appears in the mark.
- National college-sports rules have changed repeatedly since 2021, including after the 2025 House v. NCAA settlement. Check the current rules before signing any deal.
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 NIL and personal 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 trademark my own name?
Yes, if it is used as a brand for goods or services, not just to identify you. The application must include your written consent.
Can I trademark a catchphrase?
Sometimes. The USPTO refuses phrases that are widely used or merely informational. A phrase used consistently as a brand on products has a better chance.
Is a trademark the same as my right of publicity?
No. A trademark protects a brand for goods and services. Florida's right of publicity protects against commercial use of your name or likeness without consent, whether or not you have a trademark.
Who should own my marks?
Usually a company you control. That makes licensing simpler and keeps the marks separate from any sponsor or agency.
Do NIL rules affect my trademark?
School and conference rules can limit some uses, such as school logos, but they do not stop you from registering your own name or logo.
What can I do about fake merchandise?
With a registration, you can send demand letters, file platform takedowns, and bring counterfeiting claims.
Talk to us about your NIL and personal 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