Monster Logo Too Dissimilar to Block Gamer Trademark, Board Says

A group that streams its fantasy role-playing game sessions thwarted a claim that its applied-for “VM” trademark resembled Monster Energy Co.'s “M” claw logo enough to confuse consumers.

Critical Role LLC—a self-labeled “bunch of nerdy professional voice actors” whose streams have been adapted into an Amazon Prime animated series—established its circular logo left an entirely different commercial impression than Monster’s mark, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board said in a Tuesday precedential decision. The mark would cover audio/video recordings and various merchandise.

Even if consumers perceive the VM logo as an M and every other factor in the analysis ...