AEW: More Fans Invited to This Week’s Tapings, Jungle Boy Plans, Bash at the Beach Trademark

AEW Invited More Fans for This Week’s TV Tapings

AEW reportedly invited more fans to be in attendance for this past Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet and Fightful.

Pro Wrestling Sheet’s Ryan Satin reported that around 150 people were invited by the company to attend Wednesday’s taping of Dynamite, around double of what AEW had been previously allowing for attendance for non-talent.

Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert reported that a contributor stated that the company issued new COVID-19 protocols for the increased attendance, which included checks by security during the show to ensure face masks were being worn at all times. Lambert also reported that all who were invited had to pass temperature checks before being allowed inside the venue and their seating was planned in advance by the company.

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AEW Reportedly Delaying Plans for Jungle Boy

AEW reportedly is delaying plans for Jungle Boy due to the current situation with the coronavirus pandemic, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.

Meltzer said that AEW officials still have plans to give Jungle Boy his first major singles victory/push in the company but are currently holding off on those plans while they run empty arena shows. Meltzer reported that the company wants Jungle Boy’s first major win to take place in front of live fans.

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USPTO Denies Request to Lift Bash at the Beach Trademark Rejection

As noted before, the United States Trademark and Patent Office rejected a trademark filed by Cody for the term “Bash at the Beach” in May of 2019. The official reason was due to their issues regarding potential trademark confusion with a trademark owned by WWE for “The Bash.”

Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert reported that Cody filed a request on June 17th asking for the USPTO to reconsider their decision. In the request, Cody claimed that due to other wrestling trademarks sharing common names, his application should not have been initially rejected simply due to WWE’s trademark containing the word “Bash.”

Lambert reported that the USPTO responded on July 21st upholding their decision against Cody’s trademark filing. The USPTO stated that Cody’s request did not provide a strong enough claim nor any new evidence to resolve their issues over potential trademark confusion with WWE’s trademark.

Official statement from USPTO:

The trademark examining attorney has carefully reviewed applicant’s request and determined the request did not: (1) raise a new issue, (2) resolve all the outstanding issue(s), (3) provide any new or compelling evidence with regard to the outstanding issue(s), or (4) present analysis and arguments that were persuasive or shed new light on the outstanding issue(s).

The applicant’s arguments with regard to other terms such as “FIGHT”, “ROCK”, and “STAR” being used by multiple entities is unconvincing for a number of reasons. Each term has several uses with several owners in different fields. The term “BASH” has one registrant for wrestling-related services in International Class 41, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. The services in question are identical in part. Finally, the applicant’s mark simply adds a venue to the registrant’s mark.

Please find Internet evidence attached showing applicant’s knowledge of an old mark owned by World Championship Wrestling, Inc. for BASH AT THE BEACH. Regardless of applicant’s knowledge of possible confusion between the now-expired registration, the likely confusion between the registrant’s mark, THE BASH, and the applicant’s mark, BASH AT THE BEACH, remains a sound basis for refusal under Section 2(d) where the formative portions of the mark and the services are identical in part.