What legal challenges did you face?
Dhoni’s Captain Cool ‘Captain Cool’ trademark initially faced objections under Section 11 (1) of the Indian Trademark Act. The registry faced a possibility of confusion due to the already present names, but Dhoni’s lawyer proved that by arguing the ‘Acquired Distinctiveness’, by arguing that this surname has been associated with Dhoni only for a long time.
MS Dhoni Captain Cool
MS Dhoni’s ‘Captain Cool’ trademark is now legally connected to his name, and this will further increase his brand value. However, in a big step like GI tag, he is behind the players who not only made their name a brand, but also gave it the form of cultural identity.
The validity of the trademark on Dhoni’s ‘Captain Cool’ will be on sports training equipment, sports facility and coaching services. That is, in future, if someone will bring a sports academy or training under the name ‘Captain Cool’, then he will have to get Dhoni’s permission for this.
Dhoni’s lawyer Mansi Aggarwal while talking to the media said,
This is an important development, which shows that a person’s popularity and public identity can now be used to protect legal rights. The word Captain Cool has created a special identity with MS Dhoni for years, which has now been legally preserved like a brand.
Dhoni got this surname for his calm nature, brilliant decisions under pressure and an never -making personality. The captain, who won the 2011 World Cup, 2007 T20 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy, proved himself to be ‘cool’ whenever the team was in trouble.
MS Dhoni Captain Cool
‘Captain Cool’ left behind in this case
While Dhoni made himself a trademark ‘a trademark’, he has put himself in the league of veteran players like Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7), Michael Jordan and Usain Bolt, he has lagged behind on a particular front – Gi (GIGROGRHACALINDICATION). While these veterans got not only the trademark but also got their style, pose and products with local identity and cultural heritage, Dhoni has not yet taken any formal initiative in this direction. For example, Ronaldo’s CR7 brand is now not just a name, but part of the culture of Portugal. Michael Jordan’s ‘Air Jordan’ brand has become the center of GI controversies in China and its value is estimated from there. Usain Bolt’s Victory Pose has also been recognized as a cultural symbol internationally.