The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is a well-known religion in America. What many people don’t know is that it’s also a corporation, and that corporation has a trademark registration for the word “Mormon.” The LDS has never been shy about asserting its rights, and now they’re doing so by going after the “Mormons for the Devils” trademark.

Filed by Destroyer Promotional Products, LLC, the Mormons for the Devils term seems to identify Mormon individuals who support Arizona State University in its football rivalry against Brigham Young University – a school operated by the LDS church. The ASU mascot is a devil. It’s common to see Mormons for the Devils t-shirts at ASU and BYU games.

A History of Protecting the Mormon Trademark

ABC News once asked, Is the Word ‘Mormon’ Really Trademarked? The answer is an unequivocal “yes.” The LDS owns the trademark for this religious descriptor, and they frequently fight back against the unlicensed use of the term. In fact, they recently went after Real Housewives star Heather Gay when she tried to trademark the title of her book, Bad Mormon.

While there hasn’t been much media coverage of this dispute since it initially started, a trademark search shows that the Bad Mormon application has been abandoned. No specific information was provided, but it appears as though the LDS Church and Gay reached an agreement outside of official proceedings. In this situation, it seems like the Bad Mormon trademark is not meant to be.

The same outcome potentially awaits Destroyer Promotional Products in its effort to trademark “Mormons for the Devils.” The Mormon church’s trademark opposition means that the promotional company — which appears to be based in Florida — will have to argue its case before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).

Can a Company Trademark Mormons for the Devils?

It’s easy to question why a company shouldn’t be able to trademark a term like “Mormons for the Devils.” After all, it’s merely a descriptor that applies to Mormon fans who support a football team outside of Brigham Young University. While it may fall under fair use rules, one could argue that the term is parody. In such a case, it may be allowed under trademark law.

However, it’s worth noting that this is the exact argument that Heather Gay used when trying to trademark her book title. The attempt does not appear to have worked. The LDS church currently claims that granting the Mormons for the Devils trademark would create a likelihood of confusion and trademark dilution by blurring.

The claim of confusion simply means that consumers might believe items coming from Destroyer Promotional Products are directly associated with the church. The LDS believes that such an outcome would negatively affect its corporation. Alternatively, claims of trademark dilution by blurring indicate that the famous Mormon trademark may be disassociated from the church in the minds of consumers.

What Happens Next?

Clearly, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is serious about its intellectual property. They even created a document detailing when it’s appropriate for third parties to use their trademark. The document specifically says, “Requests to use Church trademarks in a primary branding capacity by outside individuals or organizations are rarely approved.”

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that “Mormons for the Devils” will not be approved as a trademark. If Destroyer Promotional Products can overcome the opposition from the LDS church, they may be granted trademark rights. If history is any indicator, though, this may be a difficult effort. The Mormon Church has extensive resources at its disposal.

Destroyer Promotional Products has until February 22, 2025 to file an answer.  While some companies reach licensing agreements, it seems unlikely that the LDS would approve the use of their name alongside “devils.” If the Mormons for the Devils application isn’t abandoned, this could be an interesting case.