Vuvuzela: World Cup Horn Trademark?

Before the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, most people outside of the African continent probably had never heard the persistent buzzing of the vuvuzela, a plastic horn that is constantly heard during soccer matches. Announcers and broadcasters have had to make big changes to compensate for the buzz, which apparently generates a sound with decibel levels greater than a chainsaw.

Because of the phenomenon, people across the world, including in the US, have taken to the vuvuzela. In fact, a guy was kicked out of Yankee Stadium the other day because he wouldn’t give up his vuvuzela.   Of course as a result of this, people have been registering vuvuzela-related domain names to capitalize on the craze.

These registrants need to be careful of their registrations, as these domain assets could potentially become liabilities for some domain registrants. According to an article in the New York Times, the vuvuzela was created by a man named Neil Van Schalkwyk after seeing a tin trumpet in a soccer match, and in 2001, he created the first plastic vuvuzela, while trademarking the word.

Interestingly, a look into the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) shows a dead trademark for the vuvuzela, which was filed for in 2005 and abandoned in 2008, according the the record.

The battle lines continue to be drawn, and it’s probably only a matter of time before domain names come under scrutiny, perhaps after the 2010 World Cup has finished. With speculation about the horn’s place in the the 2014 World Cup already taking place, this could be a playing field in which domain owners should stay away.

Elliot Silver
Elliot Silver
About The Author: Elliot Silver is an Internet entrepreneur and publisher of DomainInvesting.com. Elliot is also the founder and President of Top Notch Domains, LLC, a company that has closed eight figures in deals. Please read the DomainInvesting.com Terms of Use page for additional information about the publisher, website comment policy, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. Reach out to Elliot: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

2 COMMENTS

  1. Interesting, I imagine the value of the name will only drop off as the months than years pass though. One of those names that have to seize the moment so to speak.

  2. This instrument will last longer than most might think. While Soccer is not the most favored sport in the USA, it is more than just a game outside the U.S. For many country’s it is seen just as important as life and death.

    The vuvuzela will be the no.1 fan instrument at all soccer games in the future and 2 young men in Germany aquired the rights to produce them. They now have rights for complete Europe.

    Just to put a number on the table: 5 000 000 vuvuzelas sold alone in the first week of the world cup. That is just Germany!

    My guess, by the end of the world cup they will have 50 million sold!

    To much money in the game for them to let someone infinge on the trademark.

    Elliot, your spot on! Vuvuzela names are dangerous teritory!

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