THE NATIONAL BUFFALO WING FESTIVAL
As a trademark attorney in Buffalo, New York I pay particular attention as to how trademarks are used in advertisements and news articles.
Today I spotted the trademark for the National Buffalo Wing Festival® displayed on the cover of the Buffalo News “Gusto”.
The Gusto is the entertainment section of the Buffalo News that comes out every Friday to let people know what’s going on in the city for entertainment this coming weekend.
Well this Labor Day weekend is the 11th year for the National Buffalo Wing Festival® on September 1-2, 2012 at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, NY.
On the cover of the Gusto today was a picture of the founder of the festival, Buffalo’s own Mr. Drew Cerza, the Wing King® wearing his trademark T-shirt and wing crown while hugging the champion of the wing eating contest from last year.
In 2011, 100lb Sonya Thomas of Alexandria, VA consumed a world record 183 chicken wings in 12 minutes and for the second year in a row beat Joey Chestnut, Nathan’s Hot Dog eating Champ and the #1 competitive eater in the world.
Drew Cerza understands the value of protecting the intellectual property rights of the name of the festival and his trademark the Wing King® (PDF).
He retained our office to register his trademarks for both the National Buffalo Wing Festival® (PDF) and the moniker Wing King® with United States Patent and Trademark Office.
His brand and trademark has been showcased throughout most media channels throughout the world.
Drew Cerza Buffalo’s own Wing King® has been on the
- Food Network, – “All-American Festivals”, “Unwrapped”, “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,
- Emeril Lagasse Live
- the Travel Channel – “Bar Food Paradise” “Taste of America”,
- “Food Wars”
- The Couch
- NBC’s Today Show
- ABC’s The View,
- Regis and Kelly,
- CBS Morning Show
- the BBC
- Fox and Friends, and was
- featured in the comic book Jughead of the famous Archie’s.
About 655,000 people have attended the festival in the last ten years and consumed about 4 million wings which is the equivalent of 20 tons of wings.
The festival has attracted people from all over the world to the Buffalo Region for the annual Labor Day Wing Festival.
It is estimated that people came from all 50 states and over 34 different countries to last year’s event.
