Olympics Medal Means Gold for Florida Man

It was a few days into August when Tony Fletcher, 46, first logged onto the U.S. Patent and Trademark website from his home in St. Cloud, Florida, to investigate a phrase that had caught his eye in recent weeks: "Redeem Team."

In the run-up to the Beijing Olympics, smarting from three consecutive championship losses on the international stage, America was pinning its hopes for Olympic basketball gold on the able shoulders of NBA stars Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Jason Kidd.

The 2008 lineup drew comparisons to1992's Olympic "Dream Team," which included basketball greats Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippin, Magic Johnson, and Charles Barkley.

The nickname "Redeem Team" first appeared in newspaper stories at the end of June. The Washington Post called this year's squad the "Dream Redeem Team" on June 30; USA Today offered a more concise "Redeem Team" in an article running the same day.

Throughout July and August the moniker moved into mainstream use, and Fletcher said that he was "surprised" that as of early August, no trademark applications for the phrase appeared on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's database.

"What gave me the idea to trademark it was Pat Reilly," Fletcher said, referring to the former coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. "He trademarked 'three-peat,' which was a term everyone started using because the Lakers were going for third championship. I started to hear Redeem Team, and did a trademark search and no one had it trademarked yet."

Fletcher talked over the idea of trademarking "Redeem Team" with his wife, a public school teacher, but the two were initially nervous about risking the $325 application fee given the chance that an application had already been submitted within the last few days, but had yet to appear on the website.

Finally, on the morning of August 11, before the men's basketball team had faced off in their second game against Angola, Fletcher took the plunge. Four and a half hours later, USA Basketball submitted a trademark application for the same phrase.

Now the Redeem Team has made good on its nickname, with Team USA having blasted through all eight games of the tournament and beaten Spain to gold medal victory in Beijing.

Fletcher, who works for a real estate agency, says that "Redeem Team" will be his first trademark, and he plans to find an apparel company to partner with to put the slogan on hats, T-shirts, jerseys, and the like.

Fletcher hasn't tracked down an interested partner yet, nor has he heard from USA basketball -- which is probably still sheepishly trying to consider its options now that a lucrative marketing opportunity has slipped through its fingers.

If USA Basketball wants to print "Redeem Team" on clothes, hats, or other merchandise -- the class of trademark that both Fletcher and USA Basketball filed for -- they can't do so without the consent of the rights holder.

"I'd consider cutting a deal with them," says Fletcher. "I'm not going to be hard-headed about it."

by Liz Gunnison