Kawhi Leonard filed last week with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark two phrases for use on clothing and footwear.
As first revealed via Twitter by trademark attorney Josh Gerben and confirmed by FN, the Los Angeles Clipper filed Oct. 23 to trademark the phrases “City Views Over Interviews” and “What It Do Baby.”
If approved, the trademarks would apply to footwear and apparel, including socks, coats, sleepwear, swimwear, headwear, dresses, pants, scarves and undergarments.
While it’s unclear where the “City Views Over Interviews” phrase comes from, “What It Do Baby” is a reference to a meme that came about after Leonard, then a Toronto Raptor, won the 2018–2019 NBA Championship. In a short viral clip that made the rounds on social media, Leonard exclaims “What it do baby” in a video posted by Toronto Raptors teammate Serge Ibaka.)
Also uncertain is whether Leonard has plans in the works to use the words he’s attempting to trademark or if he’s simply being proactive in the wake of an ongoing lawsuit against his former sponsor, Nike.
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Leonard, who works with New Balance, filed a suit against Nike in June over a claw logo he claims to have created and to which Nike owns the copyright. In the filing, Leonard said he had plans to use the logo for multiple things such as apparel, footwear, sports camps and charity functions, but Nike objected to the uses.
In response, Nike filed a countersuit in July accusing Leonard of copyright infringement, fraud within his initial copyright filing and breach of contract. The suit remains ongoing; it will be tried in Oregon, where Nike headquarters are.
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