Raiders must fend off applicants filing for Las Vegas trademark

The Oakland Raiders are behind the curve when it comes to the "Las Vegas Raiders" trademark.

According to KCBS in the Bay Area, a "handful" of people have already applied for the trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It only costs $275 to apply — a small price to pay for a potentially huge payout.

The Oakland Raiders are gearing up for the 2017 NFL Draft.

 Lane Blue, an air-freight company owner from Fresno, Calif., said that he applied for the trademark in an effort to stop the Raiders from relocating to Las Vegas.

"If I own the trademark that’s worth possibly millions of dollars, maybe I can talk them into staying," Blue said, per KCBS.

Blue's application was denied, as is likely with everyone else who applied for the trademark.

"These people think they’re going to cash in, and 99.9 percent of the time, they’re wrong," sports-trademark attorney Patrick Jennings said, per KCBS. "For a trademark lawyer, it doesn’t take much effort to knock those (applications) out separate from the patent and trademark office."

The only effect these applications are likely to have on the Raiders is a delay on them receiving the trademark. That could still be damaging, though, as knock-off "Las Vegas Raiders" gear is already flooding the marketplace.

Those who are denied reportedly will not have their $275 application fees refunded. So while it may seem like a good idea to try and beat an NFL team to the punch at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, it's really no different than throwing money away.

source:http://oak.247sports.com/Bolt/Raiders-must-fend-off-applicants-filing-for-Las-Vegas-trademark-52456383