The National Geographic Society to Start Offering NFTs

The prominent non-profit organization has filed three unique trademark applications in this regard.

The National Geographic Society, a global non-profit scientific and educational organization headquartered in the District of Columbia, has filed three separate trademark applications, indicating an intent to start offering NFT-authenticated media and virtual collectibles. This comes barely a month after its partnership with NFT platform Snowcrash.

The organization filed three applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), seeking to trademark the terms NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and NAT GEO, and the emblematic yellow rectangular frame featured on its logo. The frame was introduced in 1997 and has since been retained by the organization despite having changed its logo four times since then.

The three trademark applications, which have the serial numbers 97744496, 97744492 and 97744489, were filed with the USPTO on January 6, according to USPTO-licensed trademark and patent attorney Mike Kondoudis who disclosed the development through his official Twitter handle today.

The National Geographic Society has applied to trademark:
▶️ NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
▶️ NAT GEO
▶️ its iconic yellow rectangle borde

The applications indicate plans to offer NFT authenticated:
1⃣ Media
2⃣ Digital Collectables
3⃣ Photos
4⃣ Artwork #NFTs #Web3 #NATGEO pic.twitter.com/iPeM0p1nJf

— Mike Kondoudis (@KondoudisLaw) January 11, 2023

Data from the trademark application reveals that the National Geographic Society is looking to utilize the trademarks in offering products bordering on NFTs and digital collectibles. These include:

• Downloadable NFT-authenticated media such as audio, video, and image files that contain depictions of current events, animals, exploration, and science, among others.
• NFT-authenticated digital collectibles which represent downloadable media containing depictions of some of its areas of expertise, including nature, current events, animals, science, and exploration.
• NFT-authenticated photographs and artwork.

This is the latest in a long line of numerous crypto-related trademark applications filed by global entities, suggesting a pattern of increasing interest in the scene. Some of them include Intuit, Paramount Pictures, Ford, and Nissan.

Nat Geo’s Interest in NFTs and Cryptocurrency 

Founded in 1888 by a team of academics, the National Geographic Society remains one of the world’s oldest and most reliable educational non-profit organizations in the areas of nature, wildlife, and cultural preservation. Its dabble in NFTs will mark a turning point in the industry, bringing it much-needed exposure.

Last month, the organization partnered with Snowcrash, a Web3 and NFT platform, to launch its Genesis NFT Collection. The collection, which is scheduled to launch on January 17, contains 1,888 NFT-authenticated photographs from 16 native artists and photographers, depicting daybreak across the world.

In addition, the organization had, in the past, taken an interest in Bitcoin, blockchain, and the cryptocurrency scene, attempting to educate the public on the rudiments of the industry. In a 2013 article, following the Silk Road collapse, the National Geographic Society noted that Bitcoin could change the trajectory of the global economy.