Footballer Cole Palmer Registered a Trademark: What Happened to His Nickname.

Cole Palmer Registered His Alias and Celebration

According to The Sun: Chelsea and England footballer Cole Palmer has secured legal rights to the term 'Cold Palmer' and his 'heartfelt' goal celebration. This came after French winery Chateau Palmer forced him to abandon his rights to sell his own wine brand.

The Chateau Palmer winery, which sells bottles of its wine for up to £750, opposed his ambitions to market wine-related products and won a court case in August.

However, on Friday, the 23-year-old player secured the right to use his alias for various products, including snacks, mobile phone cases, toys, Christmas napkins, and even teddy bears. This means that no one can use the name 'Cold' for commercial purposes without his permission.

He has also successfully registered his autograph. An article in The Athletic explains how the Intellectual Property Office approved the application submitted by the footballer’s private company, Palmer Management Limited.

In August, the Chateau Palmer winery from Bordeaux challenged the initial application. In response, Palmer changed the application in September, removing all references to wine, which allowed him to successfully register the trademark. The application still includes a variety of alcoholic beverages, including spirits, liqueurs, and alcoholic energy drinks.

The winery was founded in 1814 when army officer Charles Palmer purchased the estate. Official wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd claims that wines from C. Palmer rank among the best in Bordeaux.

A bottle of his Cru Classé Margaux 1970 costs £750.

'If you have a registered trademark, it is significantly easier to defend your rights against third parties,' notes intellectual property lawyer Karen Lee.

Palmer openly states that the celebration is not entirely his original idea. He previously admitted that he drew inspiration from former teammate Morgan Rogers.

Rogers, an Aston Villa player, faced criticism for copying the celebration when he scored against Chelsea in April 2024, claiming 'it's the other way around, I did it first, he copied me.'

'It symbolizes joy, passion, and determination in the game, plus it’s fun as it works well with my name,' Palmer says about his celebration.

This move may also mean that Chelsea will have to obtain a license if the club plans to use his alias in promotional materials. EA, the developer behind the EA Sports FC video game series, may also need permission to include his celebration in future games.

Among other footballers who have registered their names and celebrations are David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, who registered his name, the initials CR7, and the celebration 'Siuuu'. Lionel Messi also registered his surname after a legal challenge from the cycling brand Massi.

Thus, an increasing number of footballers are striving to protect their brands in the sports industry as it is an important step for their career and business as a whole.