Squid Game

By now, we all have heard about “Squid Game,” the immensely popular South Korean drama series that is streaming on Netflix. The streaming company claims that the series has been streamed by around 142 million households worldwide. For a series that had a budget of US$21.4 million, it has earned Netflix $891.1 million in “impact value” and millions of new Netflix subscribers. “Squid Game” was released worldwide on Sept. 17, 2021. After the release, the US Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Database shows that different entities filed for the registration of the “Squid Game” trademark for: (a) clothing such as tracksuits, sandal-clogs, costumes for use in role-playing games, and masquerade costumes — these types of garments were prominently worn by the characters of “Squid Game”; (b) musical instruments; (c) balloons, trampolines and various toys; (d) jewelry; and (e) athletic sporting goods, among others. It was only on Oct. 15, 2021 that Netflix itself filed its trademark application for “Squid Game” in the US and also in the Philippines.