Why Hasbro Had to Suck at Spelling to Avoid Trademark Law Problems

Trademark and copyright law are funny beasts when you think about it, because it's all about the uniqueness of the brand. And there's a fine line between uniqueness and nonsensical-ness! Still, cleverness and cunning are the two Cs of the day for Hasbro's legal department, and as any business trying to brand a product or service, you can take a few cues as to how to name something without getting into any hot water and ensuring the USPTO approves your registration.

You Simply Have to Be BAD at Spelling

This dus nawt meen yoo kneed to goe hogwild. After all, the brand has to make sense. Take a cue from Hasbro, though, for instance, and recognize that they're being clever with their trademarks and words.

The problem with a lot of name brands -- at least original brainstorms of names anyway -- is that they can't be too generic. In other words.... A bumblebee toy (a real bee toy) named, well, Bumblebee would be a stretch as far as trademarking. Because it's not unique. Of course it's a bumblebee. Or else it wouldn't be named as such.

That was largely Hasbro's issue with a lot of the transformers lines they had. A lot of the names were rather generic for good reason: the names were trying to describe specific characteristics. Fair enough. And you can only have so many "Starscreams," "Ironhides" and "Sideswipes" out there before everything starts looking a little trite and over-poetic. In other words, sometimes the transformer names needed to be a bit simpler.

Hasbro didn't want to go with crazy nonsensical names, though. One "Optimus Prime" was going to be enough. "Megatron" was more than enough, too. So instead, they needed to go with more hard-hitting descriptive names without them being generic.

This is where the bad spelling comes in play:

• Tankor
• Demolishor
• Spittor
• Scattorshot
• Grappel

Notice anything funny about the names? They're blatant misspellings of common words. Distinctive. Unique. Yet, you can still tell what the transformers do and who they are. Obviously.

Funny How Changing Just ONE Letter Can Make All the Difference

You can bet Hasbro never had a problem defending their trademarks. After all, no one else would have these particular names. So take note: if you want to be a clever marketer and ensure your legalities are covered.... Just suck at spelling like Hasbro has.