Lionsgate Files 14 Trademark Applications for LIONSGATE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD

Is Lions Gate Entertainment, Inc. joining Disney and Universal in the amusement park business? Recent trademark applications filed at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office suggest it might be. On August 12th, the entertainment company filed 14 trademark applications for LIONSGATE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD in standard characters and the design seen below.

Half the trademark applications are for the logo while the other half are for LIONSGATE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD in standard text. Filing an application for the standard character text allows Lionsgate to enjoy protection in the phrase regardless of how it is displayed (i.e. the shape, size, font, or color). Thus, if the logo above ever changes, Lionsgate will still own registrations for the LIONSGATE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD phrase (but it would be smart to file additional applications for the new logo). Additionally, a registration for the logo above provides Lionsgate protection against designs that look similar and are used with related goods/services, even if the other design does not necessarily contain the words LIONSGATE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD.

The goods and services covered by these applications are identical for both the logo applications and standard character mark applications and fall into 7 different classes (hence the 14 applications - Lionsgate filed each application in one class).

Being in 7 different classes, the goods and services covered by these applications are rather broad. The most interesting is a filing in Class 041 for "[a]musement park and theme park services; amusement park services; entertainment in the nature of an amusement park rides...entertainment services in the nature of an amusement park attraction, namely, a themed area..."

Other goods and services covered by these applications include amusement park rides (Class 028), various items of clothing (Class 025), various beverageware (Class 021), luggage and backpacks (Class 018), postcards and posters (Class 016), and computer games and audio/visual recordings of motion pictures and TV shows (Class 009). Taken as a whole, these applications seem to cover amusement park services and a variety of merchandise sold within such parks.

Every application was filed on an intent-to-use basis, meaning Lionsgate is [probably] not using these trademarks yet but has a bona fide intention to do so in the near future.

Will this theme park be in China? The applications indicate that the characters contained in the logo are Chinese. Additionally, two years ago Lionsgate and the Chinese Alibaba Group formed a strategic alliance to launch a "Lionsgate Entertainment World" subscription streaming service in the country. Is this theme park the next step in that alliance?