Dr. Oz files trademarks for digital goods and services in the metaverse

Cardiac surgeon, television personality and U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet C. Oz has filed trademarks to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to cover a breadth of digital goods, services and software. 

Dr. Oz’s proposed trademarks for virtual goods and services run the gamut of art, collectible coins, food, beverages, sleepwear, eyewear, jewelry, cologne, beauty products, health products, fitness and exercise equipment, bedding, toys, games, comics phones, posters, and electric kitchen appliances — suggesting that the Turkish-American television host may be interested in capturing broad markets in the virtual world.

Oz’s trademark filing also spans community forums and information streaming regarding health, wellness and lifestyle for use in the virtual worlds, a continuation of an industry Oz covers in The Dr. Oz Show, which he hosts. 

In addition to his health and wellness show, which has encountered criticism from medical professionals for promoting alternative medicines, Oz announced in November 2021 that he’s running for an open Senate seat in Pennsylvania as a Republican. 

Dr. Oz is not the only public figure filing trademarks for their intellectual property in the metaverse. U.S.-based restaurant chains McDonald’s and Panera Bread registered trademarks to build out virtual restaurants — complete with home delivery. 

There have been over 1,200 NFT-related trademarks filed with the USPTO in 2021, up from just three in 2020, according to the intellectual property law firm office of Michael Kondoudis. January 2022 saw 450 such applications.