SAN ANTONIO – A cold war is brewing over the “Iceman” trademark in the sports world.
Former San Antonio Spur George Gervin filed applications to trademark the nickname “Iceman” last week after Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams filed similar applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Gervin told ESPN that he was “caught off guard” when he learned Williams attempted to trademark the nickname on March 16.
“I’ve been the Iceman for 40-something years,” Gervin told ESPN. “I never thought anybody would try to trademark it. He kind of knocked me out the box.”
William’s applications seek to trademark ‘Iceman’ for use on athletic sporting goods and equipment, water bottles, T-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys, hats, eyewear, downloadable posters and digital trading cards.
Gervin filed his own trademark applications on March 20, arguing he has used the name since 1980.
The Spurs threw their support behind Gervin on Thursday, posting an image of him on a throne of ice, writing, “there’s only one Iceman.”
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