WWE Files ‘Vice City’ Trademark Ahead of GTA 6 Release

WWE filed a trademark application for the name ‘Vice City’ days before the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6. The application seeks rights to use the name in connection with live events, branded apparel and other goods and services tied to the company’s entertainment business.

Trademark filings typically specify the classes of goods and services a company intends to use under a mark, such as clothing, live entertainment, television programming or digital media. Under trademark rules, identical or similar marks can be registered by different parties when the listed goods and services are distinct and consumer confusion is unlikely.

Take-Two Interactive and its developer Rockstar Games hold trademarks for the Grand Theft Auto franchise and related logos. Overlap in wording across industries can occur; disputes over marks are handled through trademark office examination, public opposition periods and administrative proceedings.

WWE has not issued a public statement explaining how it plans to use the ‘Vice City’ mark. Rockstar Games and Take-Two have not commented on the WWE filing.

If an existing rights holder files an opposition, the process can result in a negotiated settlement, a coexistence agreement, or a decision by the trademark office. The final scope of protection will depend on the specific classes WWE listed in its application and any objections raised during the review period.