'Jersey Shore' Stars Have Trouble Trademarking their Nicknames
Cast members of Jersey Shore encountered some roadblocks when they tried to trademark their nicknames with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but Mike “the Situation” Sorrentino has had better luck with efforts to protect the phrase “Situation Nation.”
The Washington Post blog The Reliable Source tracked down the star’s trademark woes. Pauly D tried to trademark his DJ business, but the name was too similar to DJ Pauli. Snooki can’t claim a trademark for publishing because of the 2003 children’s book Adventures of Snooky: Under the Sea. (The book is about a cat that gets knocked overboard on a family fishing trip, according to the Smoking Gun.)
Mike Sorrentino is having trouble trademarking “The Situation” for T-shirt and underwear sales, but he has so far prevailed with “Situation Nation” because of its distinct singsong nature, the Reliable Source says. Sorrentino has also applied for trademarks on some of his catchphrases such as “fresh to death” (for looking good) and GTL (for gym, tan, laundry).
Another star from the show, Jenni Farley, stands a better chance of trademarking her name “J-WOWW,” according to THR, Esq. Her application was initially rejected because she failed to show it was used in commerce. But she will likely be able to easily satisfy that requirement, the blog says.
