Captain Cool: Trademark MS Dhoni step to protect, monetise his legacy

In this part of the world ‘Captain Cool’ resonates more than ‘Captain America’. Recognising this, MS Dhoni, who makes only an annual IPL appearance but still dominates consumer mind space, took the successful first step in June to trademark a title that has been his second name for the best part of an illustrious career.

- Rasesh Mandani

India’s Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks “accepted and advertised” Dhoni’s plea and should there be no objections over 120 days, it would clear the way for one of Indian cricket's most celebrated captains to open a chain of coaching centres, if he likes, trademarked Captain Cool.

A few cricketers have tried business ventures exploiting their name such as Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan’s restaurants. There is, however, a grey area in certifying athletes to leverage sobriquets earned on the field of play. Is Dhoni the only captain in a team sport who stayed cool under pressure? He certainly became the most recognisable in India; that's what the trademark registrar appears to have ruled.

Then there is the moral argument. Can an athlete commercially exploit what essentially was love of the masses?

But search for a list of known epithets for our famous sportspersons and you will find there is another claimant. If Dhoni or Chennai Super Kings were to trademark ‘Thala’ they would discover that the title isn't available until 2033. It already belongs to an entrepreneur who sells steel bars. ‘Hitman’, Rohit Sharma's cricketing moniker, has been trademarked by a protective safety firm.