Cleveland Guardians roller derby team files trademark application

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - There’s a trademark battle for the name Cleveland Guardians.

The local roller derby team filed a trademark application July 27 for rights to “Cleveland Guardians.”

The baseball team filed their own application July 23 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. That’s the same day the team announced “Cleveland Guardians” as their new name.

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However, according to trademark attorney Josh Gerben, the Cleveland Indians first submitted a trademark filing on April 8 in the Republic of Mauritius, a small island nation near Africa.

That means the Indians can claim April 8 as their “priority” filing date in the United States, according to a tweet posted by Gerben.

Both groups are seeking to use the name on clothing, accessories and more.