Mastercard has filed 15 trademark applications covering a wide range of services relating to the metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). “We are continually looking for opportunities to deliver new and unique experiences to our customers and cardholders,” Mastercard said.
Mastercard’s NFT, Metaverse Trademark Applications
Payments giant Mastercard filed 15 trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last week covering a wide range of products and services relating to non-fungible tokens and the metaverse.
A USPTO-licensed trademark attorney, Mike Kondoudis, noted that the trademark applications are for Mastercard, Priceless, and Mastercard’s circles logo. Priceless is a Mastercard campaign that provides cardholders with everyday discounts.
The trademark applications indicate Mastercard’s plans for a wide range of NFT projects, such as NFT-authenticated downloadable music files and marketplaces for digital goods and NFT-backed media.
They also cover many activities in the metaverse including e-commerce software to allow users to perform electric business transactions, payment processing services, credit card processing, and providing financial information.
The serial numbers of the 15 trademark applications are 97346112, 97346101, 97346097, 97346083, 97346070, 97346064, 97346060, 97346043, 97346041, 97346029, 97346023, 97346019, 97346012, 97346003, and 97346993.
A Mastercard spokesperson told the Insider: “We are continually looking for opportunities to deliver new and unique experiences to our customers and cardholders.” The spokesperson added:
This filing is simply part of that effort, ensuring that the trademark protection for our brand carries through to any potential use in the metaverse uninterrupted.
A growing number of large corporations have made a similar move, including Meta (formerly Facebook), Mcdonald’s, Burger King, Panera Bread, and Panda Express.
Last month, Citi predicted that the metaverse could be a $13 trillion opportunity with five billion users by the year 2030. Global investment bank Goldman Sachs believes that the metaverse is an $8 trillion opportunity. Recently, megabanks JPMorgan and HSBC established a presence in the metaverse.
What do you think about Mastercard’s 15 trademark applications for NFT and metaverse products and services? Let us know in the comments section below.
