Published on: 01/11/2022
Stephen Curry submits Trademark Application For ‘Curryverse’ metaverse
Four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry submitted a trademark application for the Curryverse on October 26 in preparation for making his metaverse available to over 650 million NBA fans. If approved, the Golden State Warrior star will have exclusive rights to “entertainment services, namely, personal and virtual and metaversal appearances.”
According to the submission, the Curryverse will offer “virtual world-like online gaming services,” with players earning both fungible and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) that can be bought or sold on an “online marketplace.”
The submission includes virtual apparel such as footwear, belts, headgear, sports bags, watches, artwork, and other items in the metaverse. Curry’s team intends to provide business investment and management services, nonprofit fundraising services and software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms for developing, publicizing, selling and transferring NFTs.
While more details about the Curryverse have yet to be revealed, given his 47 million Instagram and 17.1 million Twitter following, his metaverse will almost certainly garner a significant amount of attention.
While the trademark application might seem to be Curry’s first, it is far from his first foray into blockchain technology. In May 2018, the 34-year-old player debuted the first celebrity-branded CryptoKitty, well ahead of other NBA stars.
The superstar first joined the NFT community in August 2021 by purchasing a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT for $180,000. Curry’s interest in golf then prompted him to participate in LinksDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that seeks to build the “world’s greatest golf community.” Later, the NBA superstar appeared in an FTX advertisement in March.
Other celebrities involved in virtual ventures
Curry is not the only celebrity athlete interested in virtual reality, blockchain technology or cryptocurrency. In May last year, Tampa Bay Buccaneers star quarterback Tom Brady responded to rumors that he was getting into cryptocurrency by changing his profile picture to himself leaning against a wall with laser-focused eyeballs.
Then, when Curry asked for cryptocurrency guidance last year, Brady tweeted, “Whatever you do…don’t laser eyes!”
Both Curry and Brady were reportedly involved in the latest round of fundraising for GOLF+, an app-based VR golf experience alongside famous names such as the ten-time MLB All-Star, Mike Trout and professional golfers Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.
Singer Christina Aguilera also filed trademarks for NFT and the Metaverse with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in September. Aguilera said she wanted to make multimedia files containing music and performing arts-related artworks available to download.
NFT would play a role to verify such files. Art, clothing, headwear, footwear, eyewear, beauty products, and other items are among the virtual goods that Aguilera intends to sell. She also wished to offer entertainment services such as virtual appearances and musical performances.
Miley Cyrus, an actress and singer, also registered her name in the metaverse in August. The news was announced by trademark attorney Mike Kondoudis. Kondoudis outlined Cyrus’ registration in clothing, energy drinks, entertainment services, virtual currency management software and virtual clothing such as footwear, and sports gear on his personal Twitter account.
The former Hannah Montana star’s brands are officially registered under serial numbers 97551201 and 97551195. Cyrus also plans to launch an online entertainment website for live performances, but it is unknown if these will take place in the metaverse.
