Tag: athlete brand protection

NIL Made Athletes Into Brands. Now They Have To Protect Them.

Post author By Darren Heitner, Esq.
Post date March 17, 2026

Athletes in need of protection from brands with NIL.

The NIL era didn’t just change how college and Olympic athletes earn money. It changed what they are. Overnight, athletes became brands. Their name, image, and likeness transformed from personal identity into intellectual property with real commercial value. And where there’s value, there’s risk. As NIL opportunities have expanded well beyond simple sponsorships into licensing […]

Tags athlete brand protection, brand impersonation athlete, college athlete NIL rights, Name Image and Likeness, NIL endorsement deals, NIL legal counsel, NIL licensing agreement, NIL protection, Right of Publicity, trademark registration athlete

Trademarks

Angel Reese Secures Trademark Registration for Her Name with Heitner Legal

Post author By Darren Heitner, Esq.
Post date October 29, 2025

We’re thrilled to announce that Heitner Legal has successfully secured the federal trademark registration for ANGEL REESE (Reg. No. 8,004,000) for Chicago Sky star Angel Reese. Registered on October 28, 2025, for use in International Class 28 covering basketballs, this latest trademark victory represents another strategic move in building one of the WNBA’s most robust […]

Tags Angel Reese trademark, athlete brand protection, athlete trademark portfolio, brand protection strategy, celebrity trademark lawyer, MEBOUNDS trademark, sports intellectual property, trademark attorney, trademark registration, WNBA trademark protection