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Steph Curry files trademark for the ‘Curryverse’ where players earn NFTs

NBA superstar Steph Curry filed a trademark application for the “Curryverse" metaverse on Oct. 26.

National Basketball League (NBA) megastar Steph Curry looks set to introduce his own version of the Metaverse to NBA’s 650 million fans — filing a “Curryverse” trademark application on Oct. 26. 

If approved, the United States-based trademark application, filed by SC30 Inc. will grant the four-time NBA champion exclusive rights for “entertainment services, namely, personal and virtual and metaversal appearances.”

According to the filing, the “Curryverse” will also provide “online gaming services in the nature of virtual worlds,” where players will be able to earn both fungible and nonfungible tokens (NFTs), which will be able to be bought or sold at an “online marketplace.”

The application also covers virtual clothing and goods, business management and investment services, charitable fundraising services, and software as a service (Saas) featuring software platforms for designing, promoting, selling, and exchanging NFTs, among others. 

While more specific details of the Curryverse haven’t been announced, the NBA star’s metaverse will likely garner a lot of attention given his 47 million fan base on Instagram and 17.1 million followers on Twitter.

While the Metaverse-related trademark appears to be a first for Curry, it definitely isn’t his first move into Web3.

In August 2021, Curry first became a part of the NFT community following a $206,000 Bored Ape Yacht Club purchase.

The Golden State Warriors player’s liking for golf also led him to invest in LinksDAO — a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that aimed to build the “world’s greatest golf community.”

The NBA superstar has also featured in an FTX advertisement in March as part of his ambassador role with the popular crypto exchange.

NBA’s Miami Heat gets Web3 sponsor

Meanwhile, just eight days after landing a multi-year partnership with National Football League (NFL) team New England Patriots, blockchain infrastructure firm Chain has just become the official “Web3/Blockchain infrastructure partner” of the Miami Heat.

Chain stated in its Nov. 1 press release that its partnership will aim to “bridge the gap between the sports industry and Web3 technology” by providing a suite of products and services that “address the complexities of overall blockchain management.”

Related: Aussie media company goes all in on NBA fan engagement with NFTs

The partnership will also see Chain’s logo be imprinted on the Miami Heat player’s pre-game shooting shirt, with the blockchain solutions company also set to prominently feature on the NBA team’s social media platforms.

In Mar. 2021, FTX entered a $135 million partnership with the Florida-based team to secure naming rights to the Miami Heat’s 21,000 seat stadium until 2040 — which is now officially called FTX Arena.

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Mean Girls set to make Web3 comeback as “crypto-collectibles”

Newly filed trademarks from Paramount Pictures suggest elements of the teen cult classic may come back in the form of "crypto-collectibles" and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

According to tweets shared by licensed trademark attorney Mike Kondoudis, Paramount Pictures filed two trademark applications on Sept. 7 for the early 2000s teen comedy which stars former Disney actress Lindsay Lohan.

The trademark applications cover“downloadable multimedia files containing artwork” which are authenticated by nonfungible tokens (NFTs), as well as “downloadable virtual goods” including crypto-collectibles and NFTs.

The application also covers transferring and accessing crypto-collectibles, NFTs, and “application tokens.”

Mean Girls is a 2004 teen comedy film that later developed a significant cult following, spawning countless fan-made memes and reaction GIFs. It’s considered one of the most quotable movies of all time and has even spawned a national Mean Girls Day every year on Oct 3. 

The application follows closely only a day after mass media conglomerate Viacom International filed a similar trademark application aimed at expanding The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brand into the virtual world.

The number of companies filing trademarks for crypto-collectibles, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and the Metaverse is continuously growing.

Recently, Cointelegraph reported that the number of trademarks filed in the Web3 space was on course to surpass that of 2021, as more companies are expected to join in the rush to secure a piece of the web3 pie.

Related: Iconic brands including Nike, Gucci have made $260M off NFT sales

Recent trademarks in the NFT and Metaverse space ranges from luxury designer brands, such as Hérmes to Sony Music Entertainment, to race car brand Formula One.

Data published by Dune Analytics report that high-profile brands such as Nike, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Adidas, and Tiffany & Co. have already amassed a combined $260 million from sales of NFTs, making the adoption of NFTs a highly lucrative and profitable addition to existing brands looking to expand into Web 3.

American teen comedy Mean Girls (2004) may soon be making a Web3 comeback, with recent trademark filings by Paramount Pictures revealing plans to expand the brand into “crypto-collectibles.”

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Ford prepares to enter the Metaverse with virtual automobiles and NFTs

A trademark application covering its future efforts in the Metaverse and NFT space comes only a month after the company announced huge staff cuts.

United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) licensed trademark attorney Mike Kondoudis revealed in a Sept. 7 tweet that the company had filed a total of 19 trademark applications covering its car brands, including Mustang, Bronco, Lincoln, Explorer, and F-150 Lightning, among others. 

The trademark applications cover virtual cars, trucks, vans, SUVs and clothing, for its brands and also cover a proposed online marketplace for NFTs. 

According to USPTO documents filed by Ford on Sept. 2, the car manufacturer plans to create downloadable artwork, text, audio, and video featuring its cars, SUVs, trucks, and vans which will be authenticated by NFTs.

The company also revealed plans for “downloadable virtual goods” namely, “computer programs” featuring vehicle parts and accessories and clothing for use in “online virtual worlds,” including online trade shows conducted in virtual reality and augmented reality.

There are also intentions to create a marketplace to promote the “digital artwork of others” through a website, along with “online retail store services featuring non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and digital collectibles.”

Related: Lamborghini-backed GT racing team to authenticate car parts using NFTs

Ford’s decision to enter into the Web3 space comes less than a month after Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford and CEO Jim Farley announced massive staff cuts from its global workforce to reduce company expenditure.

Ford is not the first car company to make a move into the Metaverse space.

American car manufacturer Ford Motor Company is the latest car brand prepping its entry into the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse — filing 19 trademark applications across its major car brands. 

Automobile companies like Nissan, Toyota, and Hyundai have announced plans to expand into the rapidly growing Metaverse space, while luxury car manufacturers such as Bentley and Lamborghini have already rolled out NFT collections.

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Sony Music files trademark application for NFT-authenticated music

The new trademark application covers video recordings, text, artwork, and audio featuring live music authenticated by NFTs.

American music giant Sony Music Entertainment has signaled intentions to utilize non-fungible tokens (NFTs) after filing a trademark application covering music and artists under the Columbia Records logo. 

According to an Aug. 30 trademark application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) shared by trademark attorney Mike Kondoudis on Sept. 6, the application covers "audio and video recordings featuring live musical performances authenticated by NFTs."

The application also covers marketing services, promotion, distribution, marketing, advertising, and online entertainment, including podcasts and audiovisual recordings.

The new trademark application comes in the wake of several other Sony Music-backed NFT projects.

In August, MakersPlace, an NFT market dedicated to digital art, secured $30 million in Series A financing from several notable companies, including Pantera Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Coinbase Ventures, and Sony Music Entertainment.

March saw the music company partner with Solana-based NFT marketplace Snowcrash and fellow music behemoth Universal Music Group to release Bob Dylan and Miles Davis NFT collections at some point in 2022, with plans for more in the future.

NFTs and the Metaverse are slowly becoming more prominent in the music and entertainment industry.

MTV’s Video Music Awards on Aug. 29 heavily featured online and virtual performances, including Eminem and Snoop Dogg performing their new single in a Metaverse created by Yuga Labs, the same company behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club.

Related: There’s more to NFTs than just PFPs — 5 ways nonfungible tokens will transform society

The song "From the D to the LBC” was released in June, and features two Bored Ape Yacht Club avatars owned by Eminem and Snoop Dogg.

MTV’s Video Music Awards also debuted a new award category, Best Metaverse Performance, which featured nominations for six different acts in its inaugural year, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Charli XCX, Twenty One Pilots, BTS, and Blackpink, who eventually won.

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