FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is stirring up some controversy as his company tries to trademark a nickname that many New York Mets fans feel is already taken.
Teb Capital Management recently filed to trademark the nickname “Tom Terrific.”
Washington, D.C.-based patent and trademark attorney Josh Gerben was the first to notice the filing.
“When you see stuff like that, you look at it and are like, really?” he said.
Several New York natives and baseball fans feel that nickname has already been taken by Hall of Fame Mets pitcher Tom Seaver, who has been known as “Tom Terrific” since his playing days in the 1960s.
The Mets responded on Twitter, writing, “With all due respect to @TomBrady…There’s only one #TomTerrific to us.”
Hey @uspto, with all due respect to @TomBrady…There’s only one #TomTerrific to us. #LGM #Mets pic.twitter.com/CvzWY4hu7Y
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 3, 2019
Brady’s company hopes to use the “Tom Terrific” trademark on items such as t-shirts and posters, according to the application.
While it will likely upset fans in New York, New England fans are already interested in buying the potential merchandise.
“I just think of Tom,” one Patriots fan said. “And if he copyrights anything, I’ll buy it.”
The approval process takes about eight months.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)