MS Dhoni, long celebrated for his calm and composed presence on the field that earned him a popular nickname `Captain Cool`, has now formalised his association with the name. The 43-year-old recently filed a trademark application for exclusive rights over the term `Captain Cool` in connection with sports training, coaching services, and training centres.
According to the Trade Marks Registry portal, Dhoni’s application of the trademark, which officially appeared in the journal on June 16, has progressed smoothly, having been accepted and subsequently advertised.
“Delighted to share a recent development from the field of trademark law that underscores the evolving role of personality rights and acquired distinctiveness in overcoming relative grounds for refusal,” wrote Dhoni’s lawyer, Mansi Aggarwal, in a LinkedIN post.
She also revealed that it was achieved only after navigating several legal obstacles. “The application was initially met with a Section 11(1) objection under the Trade Marks Act, citing likelihood of confusion,” she added.
Dhoni’s legal team countered these concerns by stressing on the singular connection between `Captain Cool` and Dhoni himself. They argued that the nickname had become firmly ingrained in public consciousness through years of use by fans and media alike and “has acquired distinct secondary meaning through long-standing and widespread association with Mr. Dhoni”.
Additionally, Dhoni’s team stressed that since the trademark would be applied specifically within sports and entertainment services, the likelihood of confusion with any pre-existing marks was very slim.
“The Registry acknowledged that the sobriquet is not just a nickname but a part of the applicant’s commercial identity and public image, reinforced by media, consumer perception, and global recognition and hence is unlikely to cause confusion. The application has been accordingly proceeded to advertisement,” she wrote further.
During his tenure as captain, India climbed to the pinnacle of the ICC Test rankings for the very first time in 2009. His era at the helm was further distinguished by a remarkable sweep of major ICC titles between 2007 and 2013, in which India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, the ODI World Cup in 2011 on home soil, and the Champions Trophy in 2013.
Dhoni made the surprise choice to retire from Test cricket midway through the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Two years later, in 2017, he stepped down from limited-overs captaincy. His illustrious international playing career came to a poignant close in 2019. His final appearance for India was in the heartbreaking World Cup semi-final defeat to New Zealand, where India fell agonisingly short of another shot at glory.
