Cody Files Trademark for “Cody Rhodes” Following WWE’s Trademark Expiring

Cody Rhodes filed a trademark for “Cody Rhodes” to the United States Patent and Trademark Office on April 13th for wrestling and merchandise-related purposes.

WWE had the name trademarked since June 2007, but the trademark expired earlier this month. WWE received a notice on October 13, 2018 from the USPTO informing them that their “Cody Rhodes” trademark would expire on October 13, 2019 if they did not re-apply and they would be given an additional six-month grace period, which expired on April 13, 2020, Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert reported.

Cody filed for the trademark on the first day it expired.

While it had been previously assumed that WWE was preventing Cody from using the “Rhodes” name following his release in 2016, Cody said in an AEW media call in October 2019 that this was not the case.

“I can use it. I won’t use it, though. This is not the romantic Game of Thrones answer everyone wants. The reason I don’t use it is because I got so used to being ‘The American Nightmare Cody’ in Japan. I love that. I love the idea of trying my damndest to get a single name over. I got the rub off Dusty and my family long enough. I don’t mind not using it. You’ll see it every now and then. Some people, they already know. By no means is WWE holding that name hostage. That is not a real thing. If I was to walk out tomorrow lower thirded as ‘Cody Rhodes,’ announced as ‘Cody Rhodes,’ nobody’s going to sue us. Nobody’s coming after us. There’s a lot of respect between the families that are involved here. I just like using my first name.”