The legal battle over who owns the "Broken" gimmick that Matt Hardy had while he was in TNA (now GFW) has had an interesting turn. GFW's trademark applications have been denied.
According to PWInsider, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has given an initial refusal to the registration of four trademarks applied for that relate to the Hardys’ gimmick from the company. The four trademarks that GFW applied for were Brother Nero, Broken Brillance, Vanguard1 and Broken Matt.
Each trademark was denied for various different reasons:
- Broken Matt: This trademark was refused because of likely confusion with Matt’s own filing for the trademark, which was initially denied as well. Once GFW files valid evidence that there isn’t a potential conflict between the two, the application will be suspended so the office can come to a decision on Matt’s application. GFW would need to state whether or not "Broken Matt" is referencing a living person. If so, they would need Matt's consent.
- Brother Nero: The trademark was refused because GFW needed to indicate whether or not it refers to a living person, similar to the "Broken Matt" trademark. If so, they would need to get Jeff Hardy's consent, as Nero is Jeff's real life middle name.
- Broken Brilliance: This trademark was denied because GFW had to have specified if it had significance in wrestling or is it just a “term of art” in the wrestling industry.
- Vanguard 1: Vanguard 1, the drone the Broken Hardys have used in TNA, and its trademark was refused due to likely confusion with a different, non-wrestling trademark.
Since the Hardys left their former employers earlier this year, both parties have been adamant that each party owns the "Broken Universe " gimmick, with no conclusion as of yet.
The Hardys have been dropping hints on Monday Night RAW about the debut of the Broken gimmick in WWE, but for the most part, they have been billed as "The Hardy Boyz."
Reby Hardy, Matt's wife, has been extremely vocal on social media throughout the past few months about her, and the rest of the family's displeasure over the legal battle and that the Hardys are the sole owners of the gimmick.
