The Houston Roughnecks technically don’t exist right now after the shutdown of the league, but the team is being singled out by the NFL over looks of their primary and secondary logos.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the NFLP field an opposition over the Roughnecks logo looking quite similar to the Oilers logo.
This week, the NFLP officially filed an opposition to their secondary logo on behalf of the New England Patriots.
Via XFL News Hub:
“Similar to the previous filing, the opposition started in 2019. It wasn’t, and can’t, be made official until the United States Patent and Trademark Office grants the Mark application.
The court only allows two extensions (60 and 90 days), and since they both have expired, the motion has been made official.
Unlikely to ever actually go to a court trial, but if it does, there will be a discovery hearing, and the NFLP has to prove that the XFL designed this logo with the intent to confuse the public, and piggyback off the goodwill established by the updated 1993 logo of the New England Patriots.”
Paragraph 16 reads:
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral Houston Roughnecks stories via Google! Follow Us
“Applicant’s adoption of Applicant’s Mark was willful and with knowledge of Opposers’ prior trademark rights. Applicant’s adoption of Applicant’s Mark was intended to trade
off on the goodwill that Opposers have built in the Patriots Mark.”
The XFL has until February 28th to respond.
