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Eiffel Tower -

While pictures of the Eiffel Tower by day are in the public domain, the lighting is not. So, don't try to sell photos without seeking permission first.

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Usain Bolt -

The retired sprinter has copyrighted both his name and his signature move, the "lightning bolt."

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'Law and Order' -

The two rapid consecutive notes in the 'Law and Order' opening theme are protected under copyright owned by NBC.

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Reese's Pieces -

The specific orange background color on the packaging of Reese's Pieces is a registered trademark.

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"Baggies" -

The term "baggies" is not just a generic word to describe plastic food bags, but a registered trademark of the Pactiv Corporation.

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Michael Buffer -

Boxing announcer Michael Buffer trademarked his phrase "Let's get ready to rumble!" back in 1992, and has made hundreds of millions of dollars from it ever since.

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Facebook -

The word "face" is copyrighted and owned by Facebook, but only in the context of social media platforms.

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T-Mobile -

The magenta that T-Mobile use on their storefronts has been claimed as their trademark color, and they have sent cease and desist letters to other companies for using it.

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Darth Vader -

Lucasfilm have actually copyrighted Darth Vader's inhaling and exhaling from the 'Star Wars' movie franchise.

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Donkey Kong -

Clearly the popular video game is owned by Nintendo. Well, so is the phrase "It's on like Donkey Kong."

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UPS -

The shade of brown on the UPS logo is officially known as "Pullman brown." This color is trademarked by the delivery company.

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Superheroes -

The word "superhero" is trademarked. Even more strangely, it is co-owned by rivals Marvel and DC Universe.

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Slide to unlock -

This iPhone feature is an Apple patent. They sued Samsung for in excess of US$ 100 million for having a similar function, and won!

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iPhone sound -

The sound that emanates from an iPhone when it is turned on is also trademarked by Apple.

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"Realtor" -

A real estate agent is often referred to as a "realtor." However, this is a term that is trademarked by the National Association of Realtors, and to use the title you have to be a member.

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Zippo -

The sound of a Zippo lighter being clicked was trademarked in 2018 due to it being perceived by the company as a unique sound to their products.

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"Onesie" -

The word "onesie" isn't a generic word for baby's attire. It is trademarked, owned by the Gerber Childrenswear Company.

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Tiffany & Co. -

The blue color of a Tiffany & Co. gift box is legally trademarked and owned by the company.

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Boise State football stadium -

The blue turf on the Boise State football stadium is unique to the team, and they have a trademark for it.

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Ping-pong -

The game of table tennis isn't trademarked. The game of ping-pong, however, is trademarked by Parker Brothers, even though the rules are identical.

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Post-it notes -

The stationery company 3M owns the specific shade of yellow that is used for their Post-It notes.

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Barbie -

Not only is the world's most famous doll's name trademarked, the specific shade of pink associated with Barbie is as well.

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LeBron James -

The NBA superstar owns his signature phrase, "Just a kid from Akron."

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Emeril Lagasse -

The word "Bam!" was trademarked by Emeril Lagasse, at least when it is used in association with selling cooking supplies.

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Guy Fieri -

Not only did the TV star trademark his name, he also trademarked the phrase "flavor town."

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NYSE -

The New York Stock Exchange's iconic bell clang is owned by the NYSE, as are the capitalized phrases "Opening Bell" and "Closing Bell."

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Mo Farah -

The hugely successful British track athlete registered his distinctive "Mobot" gesture back in 2012.

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Cadbury's -

The specific shade of purple used by the huge confectionary company is trademarked by them.

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Dry ice -

While the trademark has now expired, the term "dry ice" belonged to the Dry Ice Corporation of America for over 60 years.

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Philips -

The giant electronics company tried to trademark their three headed shaver design, but ultimately did not succeed.

See also: Weird things celebs have tried to trademark.

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