Trademarks are supposed to serve as identifiers of the source of goods or services. They provide intellectual property creators with protection from others infringing on and misusing their creation.

However, occasionally someone will try to use a trademark registration to claim ownership of words or symbols that should be open to everyone to use. When this occurs, the OTW speaks up to oppose claims of private ownership of fandom as part of the OTW’s mission to protect and defend fandom from legal challenge.

This page deals with trademark applications and registrations that the OTW has been involved in opposing. If you have any questions about them, please feel free to contact the Legal committee.

2025

Amicus Curiae Opposing RAPUNZEL Trademark

November 2025

On November 25, 2025, the OTW filed a brief in support of law professor Rebecca Curtin’s attempt to oppose a registration for the name “Rapunzel” for dolls. Rapunzel is a fairytale character in the public domain, and commercial entities should not be able to prevent people from using this name freely.

2016

Petition to Cancel FANDOM Trademark

April 2016

On April 30, 2016, the OTW filed a petition in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel registration of the mark “FANDOM” for entertainment services. The petition explained, among other things, that the word “fandom” is a generic term that cannot act as a trademark for films and websites that feature the cultural phenomenon of fandom.

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