Ella Toone becomes first Lioness to launch TM protection for personal sports brand
Manchester United midfielder registers ‘ET7’ trademark for merchandise and football academy | Brand launched outside Old Trafford on a match day.
England and Manchester United football player Ella Toone has made a move to secure IP protection for her personal brand, with the registration of UK trademark ‘ET7’, based on her initials and shirt number.
She is the first Lioness to trademark her name, and joins a growing number of sports stars who have already taken the step to capitalise on their success.
The mark, which was applied for in June this year and registered in October, will apply to merchandise and a football academy that Toone will launch next year.
‘ET7’ is registered as UK trademark number UK00003924861 and covers goods in Classes 9, 14, 16, 18, 21, 24, 25, 28 and 41. This includes NFTs, jewellery, bags, clothing, footwear, headwear, and education services.
Following her performance in the Women’s World Cup this year, Toone became the first England player in history to have scored in the quarter-final, semi-final and final matches of a major international tournament.
She has almost 700,000 followers on Instagram and 60,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel. In her latest video on YouTube, Toone can be seen visiting a billboard outside the Old Trafford stadium where her ‘ET7’ brand was launched on Wednesday last week (December 6) ahead of a game between Manchester United and Chelsea.
Creating identities beyond sport
Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo based his ‘CR7’ brand on his initials and shirt number and has become firmly linked with the moniker.
Toone told Forbes that she wasn’t sure if ‘ET7’ would become her nickname but that since she released the brand, “people have definitely been trying to call me it!”
Samuel Coppard, a senior associate in the IP and sport practices at law firm RPC, commented: “Ella Toone’s strategic move to register the ‘ET7’ trademark across a diverse array of goods and services classes demonstrates a forward-thinking approach.”
He added that the inclusion of classes such as NFTs, books, textiles, and education services “reflects not only her immediate ambitions but also a broader vision for the growth and diversification of the ‘ET7’ brand”.
“This proactive stance indicates a commitment to not only capitalise on her current success, but also to explore and leverage opportunities across various sectors,” he said, adding that the decision to secure trademark registrations “speaks volumes about the changing dynamics of sports branding”.
“By doing so, athletes are fortifying their intellectual property rights, providing a solid foundation for brand enforcement and expansion. Without these protections, relying solely on unregistered rights can be a challenging and costly endeavour.
“Toone’s move aligns with a wider trend in the sports industry, where prominent figures like Cristiano Ronaldo, Venus Williams, and Mo Farah have successfully established and protected their personal brands through trademark registrations.
“The ‘CR7’, ‘EleVen’ by Venus Williams, and ‘Mobot’ trademarks exemplify the strategic foresight exercised by athletes to create enduring and recognisable identities beyond sport.”
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