USPTO Rejects Bill Belichick Trademark Filings Citing Confusion With Patriots Marks
Four applications filed by an LLC tied to coach Bill Belichick were refused after the New England Patriots' earlier registrations were cited for likely consumer confusion
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has refused four trademark applications filed by an entity tied to North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick, saying the marks are likely to be confused with registrations the New England Patriots secured while Belichick was their coach.
TCE Rights Management, an LLC owned by Belichick and managed by his partner Jordon Hudson, sought to register phrases including "Do Your Job (Bill's Version)," "Ignore the Noise (Bill's Version)," "The Belestrator (Bill's Version)" and "No Days Off (Bill's Version)." The USPTO wrote in an official decision that "it is likely consumers would be confused, mistaken or deceived as to the commercial source of the goods and/or services of the parties," and rejected those four applications. Other filings by the same LLC, including an application to register "Gold Digger" for jewelry and key rings and marks such as "Chapel Bill (Bill's Version)" and "The Dynasty (Bill's Version)," remain pending.
The USPTO decision pointed to prior Patriots registrations from 2009, 2013 and 2017 for similar phrases and branding. Those earlier registrations were filed while Belichick was the Patriots' head coach and undercut the new applications on the basis of likelihood of consumer confusion, a common ground for trademark refusals.
TCE Rights Management's use of "Bill's Version" echoes a merchandising trend sparked in 2023 after pop star Taylor Swift's music re-releases popularized the phrase "Taylor's Version." The stylized wording has since appeared on apparel and other consumer products in ways that resemble professional sports and team crests.
Belichick, who left the Patriots after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles, became the University of North Carolina's head coach in 2024. Since the move, he has publicly said Patriots personnel are not welcome at his Chapel Hill facility, telling reporters, "Well it's clear that I'm not welcome around their facility. So, they're not welcome at ours. It's pretty simple." The coach's son, Brian Belichick, who had remained on New England's staff after the coach's departure, joined his father at North Carolina after a staff turnover in New England.
The dispute over trademarks arrives amid broader tensions between Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft that followed the coach's final seasons in Foxborough. After New England failed to reach the playoffs in three of his last four seasons with the team, Belichick and Kraft parted ways; Kraft later said he had "fired" the long-time coach.
From a commercial perspective, the USPTO refusal prevents the LLC from securing federal trademark protection for the rejected phrases, which would have strengthened rights to market and license goods bearing those marks. Pending applications remain in the USPTO queue and could either be approved, amended or similarly refused depending on examination and any arguments or evidence submitted by the applicants.
On the field, Belichick's Tar Heels are 1-1 entering this weekend's game against Richmond, while the Patriots began their season 0-1. The trademark matter does not affect team operations directly, but it highlights how intellectual property and merchandising rights intersect with the business interests of high-profile sports figures as they change jobs and markets.
The USPTO decision and the previously registered Patriots marks reflect a long-standing practice in professional sports of teams protecting slogans and branding tied to coaches and franchises. Whether TCE Rights Management will pursue appeals, amendments or alternative branding strategies was not immediately known. Representatives for Belichick and the Patriots did not publicly comment on the USPTO action in the filings reviewed by the office.