The Vanessa Bryant-led Kobe Inc. filed three trademarks on Jan. 28 seeking to pay tribute to the late Hall of Famer and daughter Gianna using the power of Web3.
The legend of the Black Mamba lives forever. The same can be said for the Mambacita. And the company Kobe Bryant founded near the end of his iconic NBA career will now see to it that the late Basketball Hall of Famer and his daughter, Gigi, will receive the reverence they deserve not just in our world, but in an infinite number of virtual ones.
As noted by attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben Intellectual Property, Kobe, Inc. — which is led by the Laker great’s widow and Gigi’s mother, Vanessa Bryant — filed three trademark applications on Jan. 28 with the US Patent and Trademark Office for “Kobe Bryant,” “Mamba Forever,” and “Mambacita” regarding a list of virtual and digital goods and services purpose-built for the metaverse, from apparel to art to collectibles to NFTs and beyond.
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“KOBE BRYANT” and “MAMBA FOREVER”
Description:
The mark consists of standard characters, without claim to any particular font style, size, or color.
What it’s for:
- “Virtual and digital interactive representations of Kobe Bryant for use in virtual experiences and the metaverse”
- “Virtual and digital goods (namely, art, avatars, emotes, beverages, collectible coins, clothing, headwear, footwear, eyewear, headphones, jewelry, watches, books, comics, bags, games, home goods, phones, photographs, posters, sports equipment, sporting goods, toys, trading cards)… for use online and in virtual worlds”
- “Multimedia files, audio recordings, video recordings and image files containing content, artwork, text, audio, and video relating to Kobe Bryant… stored in digital wallets and authenticated by non-fungible tokens (NFTs)”
- “Virtual basketball courts, gyms, parks, and recreational facilities for playing sports, sports training in the metaverse and virtual worlds”
“MAMBACITA”
Description:
The mark consists of standard characters, without claim to any particular font style, size, or color.
What it’s for:
- “Virtual and digital interactive representations of Gianna “Gigi” Bryant for use in virtual experiences and the metaverse”
- “Virtual and digital goods… for use online and in virtual worlds”
- “Multimedia files, audio recordings, video recordings and image files containing content, artwork, text, audio, and video relating to Gianna “Gigi” Bryant… stored in digital wallets and authenticated by non-fungible tokens (NFTs)”
- “Virtual basketball courts, gyms, parks and recreational facilities for playing sports, sports training in the metaverse and virtual worlds”
In November 2021, Kobe Bryant LLC sought several trademarks for “Mamba Vino,” signaling a move into the wine and spirits industry. This came on the heels of Vanessa Bryant’s major decision to allow Kobe’s contract with Nike to expire, kick-starting a new era of fully independent Mamba apparel.
In so many ways, the fascination with Kobe and Gigi is as spirited as its ever been. And today’s news only furthers the momentum that the dual legends of the Mamba and the Mambacita have cultivated in the two years since their tragic passing.
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