To Whom It May Concern:
It has come to our attention that a recent application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Nice Kicks has caused some controversy within the sneaker community. Application #86071477 was for the word mark of “KICKS ON COURT” for online educational purposes with respect to “shoes and sneakers worn by amateur and professional athletes” on our website, NiceKicks.com.
A trademark application was filed on September 23, 2013 with the sole purpose to obtain protection for the mark “KICKS ON COURT” for our column, video series, and related media that use the name aforementioned. As the column has grown in popularity over the past five years, it is our intention to protect the name it bears.
A misconception that has spread across the web, on YouTube, and in social media, is that it is our intention to prevent another individual from using the name for his website that primarily focuses on reviews of basketball shoes. This, however, could not be further from the truth.
Nice Kicks recognizes that Nightwing2303 operates kicksoncourt.com, but does not use the name for the same scope of content covered as NiceKicks.com’s use of “KICKS ON COURT.”
Nice Kicks respects the rights this individual posses to conduct business and in no way is trying to hamper, deter, or prevent Nightwing2303 from operating kicksoncourt.com.
Nice Kicks has not sent a cease and desist, nor filed suit against Nightwing2303 or kicksoncourt.com.
Ingenuity and the entrepreneurial spirit is highly respected and celebrated by Nice Kicks. Simply put, without new ideas, the content world would be flat. Without new innovation, so would sneakers.
It has been said by several individuals that we don’t care about the sneaker community – something that couldn’t be further from the truth. Without the community of sneaker enthusiasts, there would be no NiceKicks.com.
Nice Kicks recognizes the importance of community – within sneakers, our local community, and abroad. With everything from grassroots campaigns to assist an individual get a pair of Nike basketball shoes made without laces, to raising $12,100 for the Austin Children’s Shelter through a Yeezy II raffle, to outfitting a local AAU basketball team, to working with another sneaker site to raise money to build two clean water wells in Ethiopia, to delivering over 100 pairs of shoes to the victims of the West, TX fertilizer plant explosion, Nice Kicks cares about the community.
Please read below Definitions, Statements of Facts, and Recognitions by Nice Kicks.
Definitions:
Nice Kicks, LLC is a Texas-based limited liability corporation located at 804 Congress Ave Suite 100, Austin, TX 78701 further referred to in this statement as “NICE KICKS.”
Statement of Facts:
– NiceKicks.com is a domain registered to NICE KICKS.
– “KICKS ON COURT” is a column on NiceKicks.com that features athletic shoes and sneakers worn by amateur and professional athletes.
– “KICKS ON COURT” was first used on NiceKicks.com on October 13, 2008.
– “KICKS ON COURT” is a column updated each weekday (and occasionally weekend days) following games played by amateur and professional athletes for the purpose of showing readers what shoes were worn by whom.
– “KICKS ON COURT” is a video series produced by NICE KICKS, aired on NiceKicks.com, and the Nice Kicks YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/nicekicks) since March 10, 2012. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmqOUwEM320)
– NICE KICKS filed for a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the mark “KICKS ON COURT” on September 23, 2013.
Recognitions:
– NICE KICKS recognizes kicksoncourt.com was registered May 20, 2012.
– NICE KICKS recognizes kicksoncourt.com is owned and operated by Chris [last name unknown] aka “Nightwing2303.”
– NICE KICKS recognizes that SLAM Magazine used “Kicks On Court” as a section of their magazine dating back to as far as 1997; however, not online at their website, slamonline.com.
In Conclusion:
NICE KICKS is in no way hindering the business activities of Nightwing2303 nor kicksoncourt.com.
If there are any further questions or concerns, please direct them to my attention at matt.halfhill@nicekicks.com.
Respectfully,
Matt Halfhill
Founder + Publisher
NiceKicks.com
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