The IP of Spongebob

The IP of Spongebob

From IP of Everything Podcast by Womble Bond Dickinson

January 21, 2026 · 35 min · Episode 30

About this episode

This episode discusses trademark rights arising from fictional goods or services and their real-world implications.

If a company owns the rights to a fictional story or movie, when are they able to stop others from using that brand in the real world? In this episode of the IP of Everything Podcast, we discuss trademark rights arising from fictional goods or services, and how far those trademark rights extend. Our hosts explore examples of companies in the real world using brands that are found within a fictional story or product. They go over when a company is able to use the trademark, and when they are not. This fun episode touches up on examples involving some of your favorite TV shows and movies such as The Krusty Krab in Spongebob, the Romulans from Star Trek, and the Daily Planet from DC Comics! Meet the Hosts: Jennifer Van Kirk Aaron Johnson

People in this episode

Hosts: Jennifer Van Kirk, Aaron Johnson

Topics covered

  • trademark rights
  • fictional brands
  • intellectual property
  • real world applications
  • TV shows
  • movies

Keywords

  • trademark
  • intellectual property
  • Spongebob
  • fictional brands
  • real world
  • TV shows
  • movies

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Spongebob, Star Trek, DC Comics, The Krusty Krab, Daily Planet

Places: real world

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