Halloween Trademarks
In keeping with my series of blog posts on Holiday Trademarks (for a recap: Thanksgiving, Winter Holidays Part I, Winter Holidays Part II, and Happy New Year!), it’s time to turn to my favorite holiday of all: Halloween. Let’s take a look at some Halloween and horror themed trademarks – if you dare…
The US Patent and Trademark Office lists 381 trademark applications and registrations that include the word “HALLOWEEN.” Of course, some of these are, appropriately for the holiday, dead. Here are a few that are among the living:
HALLOWEEN HOOTIES for candy, which has been registered since 1972 (and which I’ve never heard of).
Also new to me are GOBBL’N GRAPES THE OFFICIAL GRAPE OF HALLOWEEN! – I’m not sure who has the authority to bestow that official title.
VAMPIRES – THEY’RE NOT JUST FOR HALLOWEEN ANYMORE – were they ever?
Something called HALLOWTHANKSMAS. I’m guessing they serve TURDUCKEN (which, you guessed it, is a registered trademark as well).
CHOCOLATE MILK: THE OFFICIAL DRINK OF HALLOWEEN. Does it go with the equally-official grapes?
THE OFFICIAL WINE OF HALLOWEEN. But wait, I thought chocolate milk was the official drink, so what am I supposed to do with the wine?
SPOOKSTER THE HALLOWEEN CAT – I wonder if “Spookster” knows my dog, Spooky Monster Lizerbram?
Finally, we come to one of the all-time great Halloween icons: John Carpenter’s Halloween. I consider it the Citizen Kane of horror films. Here’s a trademark registration for products related to the movie.
Google released a list of the top 10 trending Halloween costumes for 2013. #1 was “Minions” from the Despicable Me series. Here’s a USPTO registration for DESPICABLE ME MINION MAYHEM for amusement park services.
Interested in what brands make up the most popular Halloween candy? Yahoo! Finance has the answer in this article. Spoiler alert: THE ORIGINAL GOURMET CANDY CORN doesn’t make the list.
OK everyone – have a safe Halloween, have fun picking out a costume, and try not to infringe on any trademarks while you’re at it.
