Almost a decade after The Office left the air, the show is at the center of a trademark lawsuit in Los Angeles.
According to a report by Spectrum News 1, NBCUniversal has filed a lawsuit against the Jay Kennette Media Group and its owner for fraudulently registering the trademark Dunder Mifflin, the fictional workplace from the hit TV series.
NBCU slammed the Media Group claiming that they have “built a business based on registering trademarks belonging to others” with the intention of making money by selling them back to their owners or potentially profiting from branded merchandise while having no true connection to the entity — in this case The Office’s fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin.
According to trademarkia.com, other trademarks that the Jay Kennette Media Group has filed include Average Joes — the fictional sports team from Dodgeball, Super Saiyan, WOLF GANG, and more.
As cited by Spectrum News 1, the lawsuit claims that the defendant filed for the Dunder Mifflin trademark around six years ago and since has used it to sell shirts, hoodies, and other products. Over the years NBCU has sold its own Dunder Mifflin-themed products including mugs, hats, sharpies, and more.
NBCU attempted to file the trademark for themselves back in 2020 but was rejected according to the report. This decision is currently being appealed.
If successful, this lawsuit will stop the Jay Kennette Media Group from using the Dunder Mifflin name and order them to destroy any related product inventory. Also, NBCU is seeking unspecified damages and profits from any merch sold by the Media Group related to The Office.