Hermès is preparing for its entry into Web3 by filing a trademark application covering NFTs, crypto, and the Metaverse.
Hermès to make its entrance in Web3 with Fashion shows, NFTs and crypto in the metaverse
The trademark covers downloadable software to view, store, and manage virtual goods, digital collectibles, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs “for use in online worlds,” according to an August 26 filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
It also trademarked “retail store services featuring virtual goods,” “fashion and trade shows in online virtual, augmented, or mixed reality environments,” and “providing an online marketplace for buyers and sellers of virtual goods.”
The new trademark application comes months after Metabirkins founder Mason Rothschild was sued in January for allegedly using the Birkin name to profit from sales and resales of his NFT Metabirkins collection.
A lawsuit in the making
Hermès claimed in a 47-page legal complaint against Rothschild that the “MetaBirkins brand simply rips off Hermès’ famous Birkin bag trademark by adding the generic prefix’meta’ to the famous trademark Birkin,” giving the impression that the MetaBirkins brand was a part of the luxury Hermès’ Birkin brand.
The lawsuit against Rothschild could be one of the reasons why the company has decided to file its safeguards for the Metaverse, crypto, and NFT-related products and tokens.
The luxury label is not the first, nor will it be the last, to make moves in the Metaverse. Earlier this year, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, Tommy Hilfiger, Estée Lauder, and Elie Saab appeared at Decentraland’s Metaverse Fashion Week, a four-day digital fashion event featuring wearables on virtual runways.
Dune Analytics data revealed last month that leading brands such as Nike, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Adidas, and Tiffany & Co. had amassed a total of $260 million in NFT sales.
