It would seem that registering celebrity names for goods, as opposed to services, may be less difficult since the applicant would not have the additional burden of showing that the name is being used to identify the services being performed.

Of course, a celebrity that is late in the game of filing trademarks may have an uphill battle if others have already registered trademarks that may be confusingly similar to the celebrity’s name.

Just like any other trademark applicant, a celebrity seeking to trademark their name must still contend with the likelihood of confusion with prior trademark filings. Celebrities do not get a free pass just because they’re famous.