President Obama Prepares for End of Presidency With Recent Trademark Application

President Obama delivered his last State of the Union address last night as he enters the final year of his presidency. As things wind down, the President is also apparently preparing for life after the White House. On January 8th, the Barack Obama Foundation, a non-profit corporation, filed a federal trademark application for THE BARACK OBAMA FOUNDATION as it relates to

charitable fundraising services; philanthropic and charitable monetary services relating to making grants for art, education, and human and social services and to non-profit organizations for art, education, and human and social services; library and museum services; educational services, namely, conducting classes, workshops, seminars, conferences, and programs in the fields of poverty elimination, health security, economic empowerment and investment, leadership development, world governance, climate change, citizen service, and racial, ethnic, and religious reconciliation[.]

Because the Foundation is not yet actively providing those services, this application was filed on an intent-to-use basis. According to the Foundation's website, "[t]he Obama Foundation is where the work we started together will continue, and it begins with the Presidential Center on Chicago's South Side." The Foundation appears to be narrowing down specific sites for the Obama Presidential Center and is currently seeking an architect for the project. For more information on the project, check out the Foundation's FAQ here.