Conor McGregor applies to register three trademarks to protect his brand

Just four days before the official sale of the UFC was announced, Conor McGregor applied to register three trademarks.

Coincidence? Possibly. But intellectual property lawyer Brian Conroy, of Rennick Solicitors, isn't so sure.

Conroy, who recently posted about McGregor's application to the Irish Patents Office, notes that it's altogether more likely that the reigning UFC featherweight champion realised that it would be worthwhile to protect his brand due to the possibility that any image rights owned by the UFC, and therefore sold to the new owners, would be affected following the sale.

On 7 July McGregor, through his company McGregor Sports and Entertainment Limited, filed for three trademarks - 'The Notorious', 'Conor McGregor' and 'The Mac Life'.

Conroy points out that while the initial applications are for Ireland only, it's very possible that those will act as the foundation for applications on an international level.

It will take at least three months for these three trademarks to be processed and accepted presuming no objections, which is an optimistic presumption.

The fact that McGregor applied for the trademarks for identical goods and services could be troublesome due to the fact that several companies already use or have applied for those trademarks.

Conroy mentions one quite close to home, with The Grafton Barber's recent application for a 'The Notorious' trademark, which has not yet been accepted.

It seems rather odd that a businessman as shrewd as McGregor would wait so long to apply for these trademarks but perhaps the Irishman's new website - TheMacLife.com - signalled that it may be time to start putting the stamp on his intellectual property.

We don't expect an application for 'Red Panty Night' to be too far down the line.

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