wrestling / News

WWE Files Opposition to Indy Wrestler’s “Sister Abigail” Trademark

March 20, 2019 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
Sister Abigail

– WWE has filed an opposition to independent wrestler Tatevik Hunanyan’s ‘Sister Abigail’ trademark. Wrestling Inc reports that the company filed the opposition to the trademark application on March 19th, a day before the USPTO’s deadline to oppose.

Hunanyan filed her application for the trademark in June of last year for use in pro wrestling. The application was filed after WWE abandoned its own application for the mark.

One day before the United States Patent And Trademark Office’s March 20, 2019 deadline, WWE has filed to oppose independent wrestler Tatevik Hunanyan’s ‘Sister Abigail’ trademark. WWE stated in their opposition filing that Hunanyan didn’t create the character and has tried to “usurp” WWE’s intellectual property.

The filing states, “[Hunanyan] was an extra for WWE in 2016 and 2017 and expressed a desire to portray the WWE SISTER ABIGAIL character in WWE programming. [Hunanyan] never portrayed the WWE SISTER ABIGAIL character and is now attempting to usurp WWE’s intellectual property by filing the Sister Abigail Application.”

WWE also added that there would be confusion to consumers because WWE’s ‘Sister Abigail’ IP is identical to Hunanyan’s trademark and are both part of the wrestling industry. The filing states, “By applying for a mark that is identical in sight, sound and commercial meaning to Opposer’s SISTER ABIGAIL Mark in connection with identical services as those provided by Opposer. Applicant’s applied-for mark in the Sister Abigail Application is likely to cause confusion among consumers as to Opposer’s affiliation and/or sponsorship of Applicant’s services.”

Hunanyan told Wrestling Inc that she expected WWE to oppose the trademark, noting, “It’s another new beginning for us all. The only difference between what is happening now versus what was happening then is I’m connecting my voice to my actions. I’m going to show everyone just how good and how real this story is. Why is this true? Because I showed up as a nobody, but remembered that I was somebody. And I’ll be damned if anyone ever tries to make me forget.”

She added, “Love has always been my number one motivating factor behind why I do what I do and as the old saying goes, ‘Love makes us do crazy things,’ so let’s tell a great story in the way it was meant to be told. For better or worse, it was meant to be and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can’t imagine anyone not supporting that.”