B.A.F.F.L.E.D. Law
With their fame escalating past the 15 minutes many thought they'd get, stars of MTV's The Jersey Shore are so big they need trademark protection. But it's not coming easy.
Most of the stars of the show have catchy nicknames, like "The Situation", "J Woww", and "Snooki". As their fame continues to grow, they're getting endorsements, contract extensions, major appearance deals, and even shaking it up on Dancing with the Stars! Like any other emerging brand, trademark protection becomes an obvious necessity. The need for a trademark arises when a brand identifier (logo, service mark, etc.) is being used in the market for profit. The key to securing a trademark without issues of infringement, is making sure it will not cause confusion in its respective market with any other similar mark in the same or related industries.
This hasn't been a breeze for the folks of Jersey Shore. Snooki can't trademark her name in publishing because of a 2003 children's book. She'll have a better chance if she targets a different market. Mike "The Situation" is getting better results with trademarking "Situation Nation", but "The Situation" mark for underwear and t-shirt branding is not coming as easy. But, this guy does have an iPhone app called GTL, where users can locate the nearest gyms, tanning salons and laundromats.
It's amazing what has become a sign of the times these days.