Whether you watch it or not, you probably have heard by now that the new season of Game of Thrones begins tonight on HBO. Well, I’m definitely in the former category, and thought I would celebrate with a GoT-related post. Admittedly, I’m hooked hard. For me, the summer of 2012 will always be notable for two things I did: 1. Studied for the Bar Exam, and 2. Went through the first five “A Song of Ice and Fire” books through a combination of reading and audiobooks on car rides and walks. But getting back to the point of this post: let’s take a peek at HBO’s trademark portfolio with my Official Game of Thrones Trademarks Power Ranking!
Before I start the list, here are a few key pieces of information about the list. First, I’m ignoring a number of registrations for GAME OF THRONES trademarks. Of course they have registrations for the name of the show. That should not be particularly surprising or interesting. Second, I’m only ranking my favorite trademark registrations as of when I am writing this post. There are a number of applications out there, but I thought limiting this to registrations keeps it short and sweet. Finally, as the title indicates, this is a top five list, where I am ranking the registrations based on how much I like the references to the show/books, and how they are used with the products in the registrations. My process for ranking the Game of Thrones trademarks is all very scientific, I assure you. Without further ado, the Official Game of Thrones Trademarks Power Ranking:
5. IRON THRONE for beer. If Budweiser is the self-proclaimed “King of Beers,” then where is its throne? HBO might have usurped it with this blonde ale that it began selling under the name IRON THRONE before the start of season 3. The reference here is pretty basic, but it scores points because it also plays off the famous Budweiser slogan.
4. KHALEESI for t-shirts, bath robes, and mugs. Everyone who has seen the show knows about the Queen Across the Narrow Sea, whose has a difficult name to spell, and dragons (spoiler alert from five years ago). But with a KHALEESI bath robe and mug, you could relax just like her after taking a bath with water that will probably melt your skin off if you aren’t from the right family. On second thought, maybe just go with the t-shirt?
3. VALAR MORGHULIS for beer. “All men must die,” but why not have a good time first? This name was actually chosen through an online fan poll, and I think the fans got this one right. Also, as you can probably tell by this point, Game of Thrones trademarks are very much centered around beer.
2. MILK OF THE POPPY for mugs and t-shirts. This reference is certainly a deeper cut, which is why it gets the #2 spot. “Milk of the Poppy” in the series is a painkilling drink given to those who are wounded or sick. While I have no idea why it is being used on a shirt, I could see having your morning coffee with a little milk of the poppy as being the Game of Thrones version of an Irish coffee.
1. TAKE THE BLACK for beer. This was an easy pick. To “take the black” in Game of Thrones means to join the Night’s Watch, which is like their version of the military. Here, it is being used as the name of their stout beer. A perfect fit, and the best use of Game of Thrones lingo for a product name.
Not making the cut are: FIRE AND BLOOD for beer, and WINTER IS COMING for mugs and drinking glasses.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my Game of Thrones trademarks list, and that all of your favorite characters survive the new season. And let’s be honest… hopefully the ones you don’t like do not survive the new season. Enjoy, and as always, if you have a trademark issue that you would like to discuss, please call me at (480) 360-3499, email me at kevin@yourtrademarkattorney.com, or complete the contact form found on this page to schedule your free initial consultation. I look forward to speaking with you.
