English Premier League Joins Crypto Space, Files Metaverse And NFTs Patents

English Premier League (EPL), one of the most-watched sports leagues globally, is the latest entity to venture into the crypto space. It filed two patents for Metaverse and NFTs before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) this month.

The rapidly evolving crypto space continues to gain mainstream adoption across different sectors. More global brands are now interested in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Metaverse to open more avenues to help them connect with their fans.

According to Michael Kondoudis, the licensed trademark attorney who broke the news via his Twitter account on June 6, the English Premier League submitted its trademark filing on June 1, 2022. At the time, USPTO confirmed the application had met all the requirements. The application featured the EPL name and “lion head” logo alongside the “loving cup trophy” logo.

Upon successful approval, English Premier League intends to venture into other sectors, including NFTs, digital tokens, digital collectibles, digital trading cards, digital art, crypto trading, virtual footwear, clothing, headwear, and sportswear. Kondoudis hinted:

“The Premier League is regularly watched by more than a billion people, so the value attached to the brand is substantial. These filings represent a logical step to protect the brand in today’s economy, including virtual and crypto elements, and tomorrow’s virtual economy in the Metaverse.”

The English Premier League Joins FIFA In Similar Venture

The English Premier League now joins the world football governing body “FIFA,” which filed similar patents earlier this year. Kondoudis noted that the number of sports entities spurring into the Metaverse space would likely continue surging in the coming months.

According to the law practitioner, the massive adoption indicates that many sports brands have already started realizing they need social protection in the Metaverse as the digital concept continues to develop.

Notably, the English Premier League reigning champions “Manchester City” have already made remarkable strides in the Metaverse. The giant sports club explores the world’s first football stadium in the Metaverse, leveraging virtual reality functionalities from consumer electronic firm Sony.

Elsewhere, French football reigning champions “Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) filed trademark applications on March 16, 2022. The giant sports club plans to launch non-fungible tokens (NFT)-backed multimedia, crypto wallets, managing cryptocurrency transactions, virtual clothing, sports gear, and electronics.

More Sports Personalities Joins Metaverse

Notable individuals within the sports industry are also increasingly getting into the NFT and Metaverse space. Last month, the professional basket player “Kevin Durant” from the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) filed patents for 26 new NFTs and Metaverse applications. Durant filed trademark applications through his Venture Capital Firm, “Thirty Five Venture LLC.

Although the NFT and Metaverse are relatively new concepts for many people, trademark applications are spiking. Reliable sources from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) confirm that US NFTs trademark applications have increased more than 400 times since 2021, with the highest number recorded in December.

With more entities and people coming into the metaverse and NFT spaces, experts and analysts believe that the nascent technologies will thrive in the long term.