Cody Rhodes’ application for the term “Dusty Rhodes” was denied due to the name being similar to the “Dustin Rhodes” trademark owned by Dustin. Here is what the United States Patent and Trade Office stated about the trademark:
Here, the marks share one term, “RHODES”, and a highly similar term “DUSTY/DUSTIN”, and share the same overall commercial impression of that of a surname and given name, respectively. Given the high similarity in appearance, sound, and meaning of the marks, the marks are confusingly similar.
The next step is for Cody to file an appeal or get approval from the owner of the registration (Dustin) causing the trademark block. The belief is that Cody will still be able to trademark the term.
