In a development that seems like an ironic plot twist ripped from the show itself, Netflix could trademark the name Space Force before the US military does. The show, co-created by Greg Daniels and Steve Carell, who first collaborated on The Office, is a parody of the real life Space Force, which President Donald Trump recently established.
Netflix's satirical comedy follows Carell's four-star General Mark Naird, as he attempts to build the titular Space Force from the ground up, while also dealing with his wife's imprisonment for an undisclosed crime, as well as his daughter's rebellious phase. The show was met with mixed reviews, but has proven popular with audiences, consistently ranking in Netflix's top 10 shows since release. Given that the inspiration for the show was Trump's establishment of the real life Space Force, the newest branch of the military, many of the show's jokes are aimed at the unpredictable leader. And now, it seems, the show will have the last laugh.
THR reports that despite the real Space Force having been announced in 2018, and officially launched earlier this year, the US military neglected to trademark use of the name worldwide until after the TV show had already applied to. In Mexico, Europe and Australia, the TV show got in ahead of the the government, meaning that the US military may not have the rights to use the name in those and other similar territories. THR notes that while the trademark won't be an issue in the USA itself, where rights immediately go to the entity that uses the name first, it will be an issue in other countries, where rights are given to the first entity to file for the trademark. In many cases, this was the TV show, not the real life military agency.
THR quotes IP attorney Jennifer Ko Craft, who says that Netflix's decision to register the trademark worldwide was a "brilliant move." An Air Force spokesperson also commented on the matter, saying that at the moment there are "no trademark conflicts" and that they wish Netflix and the show "the best in their creative depiction" of Space Force.
If the Netflix show does end up winning the trademark overseas, it would be an ironic twist for the show. It spends much of its running time poking fun at how shambolic and disorganized the fictional Space Force is, and for the real life Space Force to make the kind of mistake seen in the show is almost too hilarious to be true. Hopefully, the writers are paying attention and write the trademark issue into Space Force season 2, which showrunner Daniels has confirmed is under way, despite not getting an order from Netflix yet.
Source: THR