eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY), the second-biggest e-commerce company in the U.S., recently filed two trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) related to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the metaverse.
The news was Tweeted by USPTO-licensed trademark lawyer Mike Kondousis on June 28. The trademark applications indicate that eBay has plans for the following:
- Virtual goods marketplaces
- Online retail stores with physical and virtual products
- NFTs, NFT exchanges, and NFT trading
The news should come as no surprise to anyone who’s been following eBay this year, which has been busy in the Web3 space. Last May, eBay began allowing the sale of NFTs on its platform, and just a day before the trademark applications were filed, eBay announced its acquisition of the Ethereum-based NFT marketplace KnownOrigin.
The deal closed on June 21, and allows eBay, a pioneer of auctions and collectibles on Web2, to expand into the sale of digital assets and NFTs. CEO Jamie Lannone said the acquisition of the NFT marketplace will help secure eBay’s position as a leading commerce site.
Web3 Trademark Applications Are Pouring In
NFTs and the metaverse have been keeping trademark lawyers busy lately. Over the past couple of months, news of trademark applications for NFT and metaverse-related projects has been non-stop.
Not only are big companies like eBay making moves, but also sports stars, leagues, celebrities, and even geographical entities are investing time and money in Web3. Listed below are a few stories we’ve covered at Rarity Sniper related to Web3 trademarks in recent months:
- The City of Beverly Hills Files NFT Trademarks
- Snoop Dogg Files “Uncle Snoop” Web3 Trademarks
- The Premier League Files NFT & Metaverse Trademarks
- Kanye West Files Web3 “Yeezus” Trademarks
- Subway Files Trademarks for a Metaverse Restaurant
- David Beckham Files for NFT and Metaverse Trademarks
- The NBA & Lebron James File for NFT Trademark
The list goes on and on. Even as the bear market persists in crypto, it appears people are still betting on the long-term benefits of Web3. We’ll have to wait and see if eBay can take advantage of Web3 the way it hopes. But as the pioneer of internet marketplace auctions, integrating NFTs and digital collectibles seems like the move.