April 16, 2026
Bronny James ‘B9’ Trademark Filed By Nike Rejected By US Patent And Trademark Office
The logo was rejected due to a "likelihood of confusion" with an already registered mark.
A little more than a month after reports that Nike had applied for a trademark for a “B9” logo for Los Angeles Lakers player Bronny James, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) denied the application.
According to ESPN, the USPTO rejected Nike’s “B9” logo due to a “likelihood of confusion” with an already registered mark. An examination by attorney P. Scott Craven determined that the logo was too similar to the one owned by Back9 Golf Apparel, a company based in Austin, Texas.
“The marks are similar in appearance, sound, and commercial impression,” Craven wrote to the sneaker brand in his refusal letter. “In addition, the marks are essentially phonetic equivalents and, thus, sound similar.”
Nike has three months to appeal the ruling.
Trademark attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben IP said that there may be a way for the brand to get the logo approved. Nike could approach Back9 Golf Apparel to request the company’s consent to Nike’s use of the trademark. Back9 could agree to allow Nike’s trademark, and the USPTO could then grant Nike’s registration.
“The refusal makes sense,” Gerben said. “This is not out of left field. Technically, this is a sound refusal by the government. Nike has got its work cut out for them to work around it.”
Bronny already has three approved trademarks: “Bronny,” “Bronald,” and the signature “B J Jr.” Those were approved in 2022 by a different trademark company.
Sports Illustrated reported that after the sneaker debuted in January in Bronny’s hometown of Cleveland, Nike filed the trademark on March 2. The sneaker is part of LeBron’s signature collection, the Nike LeBron Witness 9. The trademark was filed on the same day that the “Bronny James” colorway was released. The footwear can be purchased online on the Nike website for $115.
Nike recently posted a photo of the latest Bronny sneaker.
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