Unofficially, LSU’s most marketable basketball star can still use her famous nickname, but when it comes to selling merchandise, Angel Reese “Bayou Barbie” moniker will not be adorning any t-shirts anytime soon.
Reese had sought to trademark the nickname, but her request was denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in November, according to a report by On3.
Toy company Mattel owns the Barbie trademark, causing Reese’s claim to be denied, and her team let the 90-day appeal window pass without submitting any additional arguments.
“We discussed internally and determined that it was in Angel’s best interest to not unnecessarily instigate Mattel,” Reese’s attorney Darren Heitner told On3. “While initially it seemed worthy to obtain the registration, Angel has pivoted away from selling Bayou Barbie merchandise. As such, the appropriate business decision was made to simply let the application abandon.”
Reese of course is still a bankable commodity among college athletes, ranking among the highest earning women. On3 values her at $1.7 million in NIL endorsements and licenses currently.