Palmer applied for the trademark to the UK government’s Intellectual Property Office in November. According to a report by The Athletic that application was approved on Friday.
It grants the England international the exclusive legal rights to the term ‘Cold Palmer’. The registration lasts until November 25 2034, when it can be renewed again for further 10-year periods.
The 23-year-old’s application includes an extensive list of products he intends to sell using the trademarked term. This includes: soaps, bath salts, snacks, razor blades, phone covers, drones, underwater vehicles, stationery, Christmas crackers and teddy bears.
Palmer was forced to amend his application after opposition from Chateau Palmer, a winemaker based in France. In response, the midfielder’s company, Palmer Management Limited, amended its application removing any reference to wine. Palmer is still able to use his trademark to sell other alcoholic beverages.
The midfielder is also looking to trademark his ‘shivering celebration’ that gives him his nickname. That application has yet to be registered. According to The Athletic that application includes a two-second video of Palmer performing his signature move.
The application would prohibit companies from using the movement to sell products, but does not stop other athletes from performing a similar celebration. Palmer originally got the idea for his celebration from Morgan Rogers while the pair played in Manchester City‘s youth teams. It is still possible for someone to register a trademark in these circumstances, even if they are not the originator of the movement. Palmer first used the celebration after scoring for Chelsea away at Luton Town in December 2023.
Palmer is the latest in a long line of football’s most recognisable stars that have looked to cash in on their image.
In 2020, Lionel Messi won a nine-year legal battle with the Spanish cycling brand Massi, after the company disputed his application to trademark his name. Massi argued the similarity between their respective logos would cause confusion. Eventually the EU’s intellectual property office found in favour of the Argentinian maestro. Messi now has a trademark portfolio of 136 marks.
Cristiano Ronaldo has trademarked his CR7 alias, and his ‘Siuuu’ celebration. Kylian Mbappe has owned the rights to arms-crossed celebration since 2019, while Wales legend Gareth Bale has owned his ‘Eleven of Hearts‘ goal celebration for the past 12 years.
Palmer’s play on the pitch has positioned him as a valuable asset to a number of leading brands. He is a Nike athlete, is a global ambassador for Beats By Dre, and was part of a Burberry campaign last year. If those brands want to use the ‘Cold Palmer’ trademark as part of their campaigns, they will need to make an explicit agreement with Palmer.
That may also be the case for Chelsea. Most players’ contracts do not typically cover registered intellectual property rights.
“Realistically, Chelsea will need his consent to use it, or obtain a licence agreement from him,” Karen Lee, an intellectual property lawyer at London law firm Edwin Coe told The Athletic. “That would be the same with his other sponsors as well. Again, that could be a revenue stream for him.”
It appears Palmer is beginning to think strategically about his business exploit outside of football. However, the success of those endeavours will be predicated on his ability to perform on the pitch. Bar a run of goalless games in the middle of last season, his current injury woes represent the first real adversity the playmaker has faced since his switch to west London.
The 23-year-old has been struggling with a niggling groin problem over the past few months. Palmer has been out of action since the ailment flared up again in the Blues 2-1 loss away to Manchester United in September. While the international break may buy him some time to recover ahead of Chelsea’s October 18 game away at Forest, there is no guarantee he will return next week.
