WWE's Attempt To Trademark 'RKO' Rejected Again By USPTO

WWE's attempt to trademark "RKO" has been rejected yet again by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

WWE already hold "RKO" trademarks for clothing and toys but the company have tried to trademark "RKO" for pro wrestling purposes under the IC 041 category on multiple occasions, including filing a new application with USPTO in July 2026. That application was made after the trademark office rejected the initial application due to RKO Pictures holding the "RKO" trademark in the IC 041 category since 1996.

WWE have faced similar resistance with their new application, with USPTO rejecting the request on November 3 due to the likelihood of confusion with the RKO Pictures trademark. WWE have three months to appeal the decision, and USPTO have asked the company to explain the significance of "RKO" in any new request.

Randy Orton has used the RKO as his finishing move since the early 2000s and it is one of the more iconic finishers in WWE history. The trademark dispute does not prevent Orton from using the move in professional wrestling matches.

RKO Pictures, the classic film studio behind "King Kong", "Citizen Kane", and "It's a Wonderful Life", remains active to this day and was purchased from Ted Hartley by Concord in 2025.