WWE sells t-shirts using hand gesture logo
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has started selling t-shirts featuring a hand gesture, which is also used by a rival wrestling brand.
Last month, WWE filed a trademark application at the US Patent and Trademark Office for a hand gesture made famous by a wrestling group called The Kliq, whose members are signed up to WWE.
WWE filed its application for a hand gesture where the two middle fingers are pressed against the thumb with both the index and little finger raised in the air. The application covers clothing products.
But the gesture is also used frequently by members of wrestling group The Bullet Club, which features on TV programmes produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling, although it has no trademarks protecting it.
According to wrestling news website Cageside Seats, WWE started selling t-shirts on Tuesday (April 28) featuring the hand gesture on the front and the words ‘The Kliq Rules’, despite the mark not yet being granted.
The Kliq comprises wrestlers Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Sean Waltman.
A documentary covering the history of The Kliq is due to be released later this year under the name “WWE: The Kliq Rules”.
The Bullet Club was established in 2013 and contains ten members, including AJ Styles, Bad Luck Fale and Karl Anderson.
The group’s members usually perform the hand gesture after they have competed in a wrestling match and it is also used on promotional material.
WWE did not respond to a request for comment on the development.
Japan Pro-Wrestling did respond to a request for comment.
