There’s a new consensus in town… for now.
The Buffalo Bills have made a legal decision that hasn’t been initially well received by fans of the team. Via Twitter, Josh Gerben, founder of Gerben Intellectual Property, indicated that the Bills have filed an application for the trademark: “Bills Mafia” on Monday.
The original name was created by a grassroots movement within the Bills fan base, headline by co-founder Del Reid and 26 Shirts. The clothing brand sells items, like the team intends to do with their attempt to trademark the name, yes, but also donates proceeds to charity and other worthwhile causes.
As of the original report, the team and 26 Shirts has yet to comment on the trademark decision. Perhaps down the line, or within hours even, there could be a statement made or a change to the story that smooths things out. But all things considered as of now, fans of the team are actually not really fans of the team doing this. Social media has since erupted with a disapproval:
Since @DelReid can’t legally use “Bills”, @BuffaloFAMbase & @26shirts can’t put the whole phrase “Bills Mafia” on any shirt or item. Which means the @BuffaloBills can do this.
That being said, doing it without even so much as a hat tip to Del is bad optics to say the very least. https://t.co/pHR7OcyQJq
— Michael Parthum (@MichaelParthum) October 16, 2020
This is something that a small market team addresses in a Press Release. Know your market.
You just foolishly pissed off a lot of fans with no explanation of your intentions. https://t.co/S8v9fDA96i— Hashtag Sports (@Htagsports) October 16, 2020
It’s nice to see the Pegulas kicking down the little guy, knowing they don’t have the resources to fight back. https://t.co/oTqw6tIJjk
— Masks go over the nose (@DavidJCervi) October 16, 2020
Whew, those billionaires almost missed out on a profit angle, wonder why no one else thought of it first https://t.co/I8VZygM5os
— Buffalo News Food (@BuffaloFood) October 16, 2020
Wow. While this filing seems to reference the specific word mark, another filing seeks to register “Bills Mafia” as a whole. https://t.co/YiU17k886r pic.twitter.com/JXnLpIiXlj
— Nick Veronica (@NickVeronica) October 16, 2020
Bills Mafia has always been and always will be a fan created thing. Don’t let the Bills convince anyone they made it. It was grassroots. https://t.co/68D08VOBMN
— Brett (@fouryearbrett) October 16, 2020
re think this:https://t.co/FFerGzulSW
— The Apostrophe (@CruxOTheBiscuit) October 16, 2020
As referenced, perhaps the circumstances are not what it appears right away. This news can certainly evolve. Stay tuned to Bills Wire for the latest updates.
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