Insomniac has acquired yet another trademarks by adding the word “PLUR” under the category of “Clothing,” causing a stir in the EDM community.
On the public website from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, one Reddit user noticed they had filed a trademark for the term “PLUR” under the category of clothing, namely shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, pants, jackets, and hats.
The trademark hints at Insomniac potentially expanding their merch selection to include the term PLUR and using the trademark to keep larger fast fashion brands from ripping off their designs or clothing line name.
But this had many Redditors up in arms over their use of the old-school rave scene term meaning peace, love, unity, and respect as it adds a layer of corporate to the phrase emphasizing freedom and community.
ETSY clothing companies are also on high alert as the trademark specifically applies to those using PLUR on clothing. Insomniac could file a cease and desist against these smaller businesses should they continue to use the term.
On the other hand, according to the US Patent and Trademark Office, “A common misconception is that having a trademark means you legally own a particular word or phrase and can prevent others from using it. However, you don’t have rights to the word or phrase in general, only to how that word or phrase is used with your specific goods or services.”
Insomniac has many trademarks filed, both expired and open, including Disco Trip, Insomniacs, and Hard Summer, as well as unknown topics like Apocalypse Zombieland, Metal Mania, Bassrush Gnosis, and more.
But this trademark is not finalized as, according to Billboard, “the application must still be granted by the USPTO, and Insomniac might face serious challenges in winning such final approval. Cultural catchphrases and other “widely used messages” like PLUR cannot typically be registered as trademarks on the grounds that consumers don’t associate them exclusively with a single brand or company.”
Featured image from Koulters Kandi
