Netflix snags Space Force trademarks ahead of US military

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Space Force debuted on Netflix on May 29.


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Space Force, the branch of the US armed services established by the Trump administration last December, now shares a name with a Netflix comedy starring Steve Carrell. The military reportedly isn’t too concerned about possible confusion over the fictional show’s name. Netflix, however, has reportedly secured trademark rights in Europe, Australia, Mexico and elsewhere for Space Force.

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Currently, the Air Force only owns a pending application for registration of the name Space Force in the US based on intent to use, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Records obtained by the publication showed that Netflix was submitting applications for the name “Space Force” internationally back in January 2019. CNET reached out to Netflix for comment and we’ll update when we hear back. 

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Future potential conflict reportedly lies in any upcoming Space Force merchandising and being able to clarify who’s selling the item — Netflix or the US military. The Air Force wasn’t immediately available for comment, but spoke to the Hollywood Reporter.

“At this time, we are not aware of any trademark conflicts with the fictional program Space Force produced by Netflix,” an Air Force spokesperson told the publication. “We wish Netflix and the show’s producers the best in their creative depiction of our nation’s newest branch of the military.”

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The Netflix show’s premise revolves around a four-star general that teams up with a band of eccentric scientists to get the Space Force to the moon. In reality, the US Space Force opened applications on May 1 for Air Force members on active duty to transfer over. A few days later, applications opened up generally with the launch of a new recruitment video.  

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