MLB strikes out in effort to trademark ‘Play Ball’ phrase for use on clothing
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MLB sought exclusive rights to issue clothing carrying the slogan. John Fisher / Getty Images
By Matt MoretJune 30, 2026 7:20 pm EDT UpdatedThe United States Patent and Trademark Office has refused to play ball with Major League Baseball’s effort to trademark one of sports’ most well-known phrases.
In a final ruling brief issued Saturday, the agency rejected MLB’s effort to trademark “Play Ball” for use on clothing. MLB sought to secure sweeping ownership of the colloquialism in all clothing contexts, regardless of styling and font. While the USPTO acknowledged the phrase’s baseball roots, officials found its modern use goes beyond sports and is part of common parlance.
That common use runs counter to the purpose of a trademark, which exists to prevent the public from misinterpreting a phrase or term as an indication that a specific entity is selling a certain product.
The USPTO ruled that “Play Ball” does not carry an exclusive association with MLB, pointing to its use as a general reference to cooperation or an indication to start something. As such, the agency found, the expression is informational rather than identifiable with MLB itself.
“Registration is refused because the applied-for mark is a slogan or term that does not function as a trademark or service mark to indicate the source of applicant’s goods and/or services and to identify and distinguish them from others,” the ruling said.
“… Because consumers are accustomed to seeing this term or expression commonly used in everyday speech by many different sources, they would not perceive it as a mark identifying the source of applicant’s goods and/or services but rather as only conveying an informational message.”
A’s denied ‘Las Vegas Athletics’ and ‘Vegas Athletics’ trademarks again
The trademark office ruled the Athletics did not have the necessary "acquired distinctiveness."
MLB applied for the “Play Ball” trademark in 2022. It has three months to appeal for reconsideration. The league does own a trademark on the term “Play Ball Park” for use in entertainment contexts, as well as a clothing trademark on “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
An attorney representing MLB’s claim was not available for comment. The USPTO did not respond to a request for comment.
Dozens of companies have previously applied for trademarks on other forms of the phrase with mixed results.
For instance, one trademark approved in 1996 protects the use of “Play Ball!” in reference to an “absorbent granular material for drying the surface of playgrounds and ball fields.” Recent applications to protect phrases such as “Let’s Play Ball,” “Don’t Cry, Play Ball” and “Shut Up & Play Ball” have failed or been abandoned.
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Tagged To: MLBSports BusinessNPR's Nina Totenberg Apologizes for False Report about Alito Retiring
NPR Correspondent Nina Totenberg Apologizes for False Report about Justice Alito Retiring
Nina Totenberg, American Legal Affairs correspondent for NPR, apologized on Tuesday after she falsely reported that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is retiring.
Totenberg issued her apology on NPR’s All Things Considered podcast, chalking her false report down to a “rookie mistake.”
“It’s entirely on me. It’s not anybody else’s fault,” she said.
Totenberg then read the text apology that she personally sent to Justice Alito:
Dear Justice Alito, there are no words to adequately apologize for today’s error in reporting your retirement,” she said. “It was entirely my fault. I rushed out of the courtroom after the opinion announcements, and when I realized that the usual rush of folks after a few minutes had not happened, I asked somebody was going on inside, to which the answer was, ‘retirement announcements.’
“I didn’t hear the ‘s’ on ‘announcements,’ and I assumed something no reporter should ever do, that you were retiring. It was the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism. I could go on, but I don’t know what else to say, except that I am so, so sorry,” she added.
NPR had a news report about Alito’s retirement already written by the time Totenberg informed the newsroom, which many publications keep on hand for immediate publication in case of sudden retirement or possible death.
“Totenberg spoke with both her intern, who was at the court with her, and NPR Executive Editor Krishnadev Calamur and told them what she heard,” per NPR. “Calamur surfaced the story that NPR had previously prepared for the day Alito did announce his retirement and published it. The information was also broadcast on NPR’s airwaves. NPR was offering special live coverage of the court’s decision on the birthright citizenship case.”
“The story was published on NPR’s website at 10:51 a.m. ET and it was live for about five minutes. It was up for longer periods on some member station websites. It was taken down and replaced with an editor’s note by 10:57 a.m. The error was corrected on the broadcast at 11:07 a.m. ET,” it added.
‘Legally Blonde’ Cast: Where Are They Now?
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The iconic comedy that gave us “bend and snap!” lives on!
Released in 2001, Legally Blonde follows Reese Witherspoon‘s Elle Woods, a sorority girl who is dumped by her boyfriend who thinks he’s too good for her. In an effort to prove him wrong and win him back, she hits the books and is accepted to Harvard. Luke Wilson (Emmett Richmond), Jennifer Coolidge (Paulette Bonafonte), Selma Blair (Vivian Kensington), Matthew Davis (Warner Huntington III) and many more appear in the now-iconic film.
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Deal of the Day
Deal Alert! This 44%-Off Throw-On Mini Dress Is Too Good to Leave in Your Cart View DealTwo years after the release of the original film, Witherspoon returned in Legally Blonde 2, which followed her character’s journey as an animal rights activist. A musical adaptation hit the stage in 2007 and Witherspoon coproduced a spinoff called Legally Blondes, starring twin sisters Milly and Becky Rosso playing Elle’s younger cousins.
Plus, Legally Blonde 3 is underway. Written by Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor, very little details are known about the future film besides the release date of May 2022. Witherspoon is set to return as Elle Woods once more.
Remembered for the optimistic protagonist and a message that digs below the surface, Legally Blonde has remained relevant for years. While waiting for the release of the third movie, keep scrolling to see what the cast has been up to since the original film.
Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Matt Petit/A.M.P.A.S./Shutterstock
'Legally Blonde' Cast: Where Are They Now?
The iconic comedy that gave us “bend and snap!” lives on! Released in 2001, Legally Blonde follows Reese Witherspoon's Elle Woods, a sorority girl who is dumped by her boyfriend who thinks he’s too good for her. In an effort to prove him wrong and win him back, she hits the books and is accepted to Harvard. Luke Wilson (Emmett Richmond), Jennifer Coolidge (Paulette Bonafonte), Selma Blair (Vivian Kensington), Matthew Davis (Warner Huntington III) and many more appear in the now-iconic film. Two years after the release of the original film, Witherspoon returned in Legally Blonde 2, which followed her character’s journey as an animal rights activist. A musical adaptation hit the stage in 2007 and Witherspoon coproduced a spinoff called Legally Blondes, starring twin sisters Milly and Becky Rosso playing Elle’s younger cousins. Plus, Legally Blonde 3 is underway. Written by Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor, very little details are known about the future film besides the release date of May 2022. Witherspoon is set to return as Elle Woods once more. Remembered for the optimistic protagonist and a message that digs below the surface, Legally Blonde has remained relevant for years. While waiting for the release of the third movie, keep scrolling to see what the cast has been up to since the original film.
Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Matt Petit/A.M.P.A.S./Shutterstock
'Legally Blonde' Cast: Where Are They Now?
The iconic comedy that gave us “bend and snap!” lives on! Released in 2001, Legally Blonde follows Reese Witherspoon's Elle Woods, a sorority girl who is dumped by her boyfriend who thinks he’s too good for her. In an effort to prove him wrong and win him back, she hits the books and is accepted to Harvard. Luke Wilson (Emmett Richmond), Jennifer Coolidge (Paulette Bonafonte), Selma Blair (Vivian Kensington), Matthew Davis (Warner Huntington III) and many more appear in the now-iconic film. Two years after the release of the original film, Witherspoon returned in Legally Blonde 2, which followed her character’s journey as an animal rights activist. A musical adaptation hit the stage in 2007 and Witherspoon coproduced a spinoff called Legally Blondes, starring twin sisters Milly and Becky Rosso playing Elle’s younger cousins. Plus, Legally Blonde 3 is underway. Written by Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor, very little details are known about the future film besides the release date of May 2022. Witherspoon is set to return as Elle Woods once more. Remembered for the optimistic protagonist and a message that digs below the surface, Legally Blonde has remained relevant for years. While waiting for the release of the third movie, keep scrolling to see what the cast has been up to since the original film.
Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Matt Petit/A.M.P.A.S./Shutterstock
Reese Witherspoon
The Emmy winner had already made her film debut before playing the iconic role of Elle Woods. She reprised her character in the sequel, Legally Blonde 2, and continued her place in the spotlight starring in films such as Sweet Home Alabama, Walk the Line and Water for Elephants. Her portrayal of June Carter Cash earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. She was nominated a second time for her appearance in Wild.
Witherspoon then geared her focus onto television where she produced and starred in multiple series including Big Little Lies, The Morning Show and Little Fires Everywhere. Witherspoon was married to Ryan Phillippe from 1996 to 2006, and the pair share two children. She has been married to Jim Toth since 2010. The couple have one son.
In March 2023, the pair announced via Instagram their decision to part ways two days before marking their 12th wedding anniversary.
Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; imageSPACE/Shutterstock
Luke Wilson
Coming from a family of actors, Wilson starred in many films ahead of landing a leading role in Legally Blonde. After the romantic comedy, he appeared in The Royal Tenenbaums with brother Owen Wilson, Old School, Stuck on You and many more. He has been romantically linked to Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow and former basketball player Meg Simpson.
Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Jason Merritt/Radarpics/Shutterstock
Selma Blair
After her success in Legally Blonde, the Cruel Intentions star continued to achieve international fame by starring in the fantasy film Hellboy as well as its sequel. She has since appeared in both film and tv, starring in Anger Management and American Crime Story. Blair’s narration of The Diary of Anne Frank audiobook earned her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children in 2011. Blair was married to writer and producer Ahmet Zappa from 2004 to 2006. She dated fashion designer Jason Bleick from 2010 to 2012 and the pair share one child. In 2021, she starred in the documentary Introducing, Selma Blair, which detailed her battle with multiple sclerosis.
Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
Matthew Davis
After starring as Warner, Davis continued with comedy in What About Brian from 2006 to 2007. He dove into fantasy with CW’s The Vampire Diaries for an extensive period from 2009 to 2017, and returned for the spinoff series Legacies. Davis also had a recurring role in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, appearing in multiple episodes of the 14th season. He was married to Leelee Sobieski for one year in 2008. Davis married Kiley Casciano in 2018. The pair welcomed daughters Ripley and Dorothy in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Marion Curtis/StarPix for Focus Features/Shutterstock
Victor Garber
Long before Garber was cast in Legally Blonde, the Canadian native made a name for himself on the theatre stage, starring in productions of Godspell, Sweeney Todd and Assassins. He went on to star in historical dramas including Titanic, Milk and Argo. When it comes to television, Garber is well known for his role of Jack Bristow in Alias, and made appearances on Law and Order, Frasier, Modern Family, Glee, The Good Wife and Schitt’s Creek. In 2012, Garber publicly revealed he is gay and married his long-time partner, Rainter Andreesen.
Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
Jennifer Coolidge
Coolidge broke through with her role in the American Pie film series shortly before starring as the iconic Paulette Bonafonte Parcelle in Legally Blonde. She went on to star in A Cinderella Story, Click, American Dreamz, Soul Men, Like a Boss, Promising Young Woman and Arlo the Alligator Boy.
The actress also made her way onto television, appearing in Joey, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, 2 Broke Girls and The White Lotus, for which she won an Emmy award in 2022. Previously linked to comedian Chris Kattan back in 2001, Coolidge is currently single and devotes herself to charitable work, supporting AIDS assistance and animal rights.
Credit: MGM; Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
Ali Larter
After breaking through with her film debut in Varsity Blues, Larter starred in multiple horror films including House on Haunted Hill, Final Destination and Final Destination 2. She took on lead roles in Marigold, as well as the thriller Obsessed. Continuing in the horror realm, Larter gained even more recognition after participating in the Resident Evil film series. The Rookie star married long-time boyfriend Hayes MacArthur in 2009 and gave birth to her first child in 2010. Five years later, the couple welcomed their second child in January 2015.
Credit: MGM; Birdie Thompson/Sipa/Shutterstock
Meredith Scott Lynn
After Legally Blonde, Lynn starred in How I Met Your Mother and Menendez: Blood Brothers. In 2014, Lynn launched the educational program WRiTE BRAiN BOOKS, an after-school program that encourages students to use their creativity and promotes children’s books authored by these young learners.
Credit: MGM; Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
Oz Perkins
The Alias alum starred in The Twilight Zone series in 2020 and became a writer and director. Many of his films fall into the horror genre, including The Blackcoat’s Daughter, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in This House and the 2020 adaptation of Hansel and Gretel. Perkins was married to Sidney Perkins from 1999 to 2016 and the pair share two children.
Credit: MGM; Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
Holland Taylor
The Tony winner starred on numerous television shows and Broadway productions through the years. In 2020, she received her eighth Emmy nomination for her role of Ellen Kincaid in the miniseries Hollywood. Other notable television works include The L Word and Mr. Mercedes. As for film, Taylor starred in Happy Accidents, The Wedding Date, Baby Mama and The Stand In.
Taylor has been with partner Sarah Paulson since 2015. She also is a supporter of Aid for AIDS and is a participant in many of their fundraising projects.
Credit: MGM; Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
Linda Cardellini
Cardellini is well known for her leading roles in Freaks and Geeks and ER. After Legally Blonde, Cardellini starred as Velma in the Scooby Doo movies, as well as appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Endgame, Green Book, A Simple Favor, Daddy’s Home and The Curse of La Llorona.
In 2019, she earned an Emmy nomination for work in Dead to Me. She was nominated for another Emmy Award for her guest appearance in Mad Men. The actress previously dated costar Jason Seigel from 2001 to 2007. She then met Steven Rodriguez in 2009 and the pair welcomed their daughter in 2012. Cardellini and Rodriguez have been engaged since 2013.
Credit: MGM; Picture Perfect/Shutterstock
Bruce Thomas
Thomas had a small role before Legally Blonde, but the comedy helped fuel his career. He later starred in the 2008 film Babysitter Wanted and Kyle XY. Thomas is also well versed in voice acting, starring in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, Gears of War: Judgement, Justice League: War and Son of Batman. He also voiced a sergeant in the Netflix series Love, Death, Robots. Aside from acting, Thomas has also participated in motion capture for video games, including Halo Infinite.
Credit: MGM; Courtesy of Jessica Cauffiel/Instagram
Jessica Cauffiel
Shortly before starring as Margot, Cauffiel made a name for herself as a scream queen in the slasher films Urban Legends: Final Cut and Valentine. She continued into comedy with White Chicks in 2004 and had a recurring role in the sitcom The Drew Carey Show. Cauffiel took a break from acting in 2007 after appearing in My Name is Earl and came back as the lead of the Hallmark movie Ice Dreams in 2009. That same year, she produced and starred in the short film Bed Ridden, and all proceeds were donated to The Clare Foundation. Cauffiel is also known for her lovely voice and performed in Dharamshala, India. She also sang on albums Shanti by Snatam Kaur and Grateful Ganesh by Guruganesh Singh Khalsa.
Credit: MGM; John Salangsang/Shutterstock
Alanna Ubach
After Legally Blonde, the Brady Bunch movie star continued her career with Meet the Fockers, Bad Teacher and Bombshell. Ubach also voiced quite a few characters in animated films and shows such as The Spectacular Spiderman, Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, Rango, Coco and Monsters at Work. Ubach is married to record producer Thom Russo, and they share one child.
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In this article
Jennifer Coolidge
Luke Wilson
Reese Witherspoon
