A’s Suffer Major Blow as Trademark for Las Vegas Athletics Name Gets Denied

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied the A's trademark application for the Las Vegas Athletics name citing that the term "Athletics" was too generic.

A’s Suffer Major Blow as Trademark for Las Vegas Athletics Name Gets Denied

A's owner John Fisher (Image via Sports Illustrated)

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The Athletics suffered a major blow on Tuesday. According to reports, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied trademarks for the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics” ahead of their permanent move to Las Vegas.

The Athletics moved out of Oakland after the 2024 season. The team, who were relocated from Kansas City in 1967, would play in Oakland and adopted the name Oakland Athletics.

Following years of dispute, MLB owners in 2023 approved the relocation of the team. The league allowed the organization to move to Las Vegas.

After the 2024 season, the team dropped the name “Oakland” from their name. Since then, they have been referred to just as the Athletics or the A’s. With their Las Vegas ballpark still under construction, the team has been playing their home games in a Triple-A stadium at Sutter Park in West Sacramento.

As per reports, the team recently filed for a trademark for their new name. However, they suffered a setback when the USPTO denied them.

According to the recently released filing, the USPTO urged that the term “Athletics” was too generic. The body argued that this could easily be confused with other uses. They further expressed that the name lacked “acquired distinctiveness“, which is required for a trademark registration.

ATHLETICS means activities such as sports, exercises and games that require physical skill and stamina … therefore the prior registration does not support applicant’s claim of acquired distinctiveness and the claim is not accepted.

The USPTO said as per The Athletic

The franchise had been using the name Athletics since 1901. While they had a prior trademark for Athletics during their time in Oakland, it does not guarantee an approval of a new trademark.

In simple terms, under the trademark law, the “Oakland Athletics” and “Las Vegas Athletics” are distinct entities.

What’s next for the Athletics after latest name setback?

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office gave the Athletics a blow by denying their application for two names. With this development, many fans are left wondering what will happen next to the team?

John Fisher
A’s owner John Fisher (Image via MLB)

As much as some fans would want the team to go back to Oakland, that will not be the case. Following this decision, the franchise will be given some time to appeal or submit more evidence to show that the name carries secondary meaning.

According to Front Office Sports, if the team can show the USPTO that consumers can recognize their name as a specific team instead of just a phrase, they will be able to secure the registration.

Despite these frustrations, the team has made several long-term moves for the future. After moving out of Oakland, the team landed Luis Severino on a 3-year, $67 million deal. They even dished out a massive $60 million extension to Brent Rooker.

This offseason, they acquired Tyler Sorderstorm on a franchise record $86 million deal. They even added experience in the form of Jeff McNeil through a trade from the NY Mets. Meanwhile, their core includes several young players, including 2025 American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz.

Last year, the team finished with a 76-86 record, a slight improvement from their 69-93 record in 2024. The team last finished with a winning record in the 2021 season when they came 3rd in the AL West Standings with an 86-76 record.

Given this core, the fans are expecting the team to at least finish with a positive record in the upcoming season.

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