Back of a cigarette pack
In 1963, three years after the band was formed, drummer Ringo Starr ordered a new drum kit from a specialty drum store in London. Because Ringo wanted the band’s name on the bass drum, the shop owner sketched the logo with the extended T on the back of a cigarette pack and had it painted on the drum by a commercial sign painter – for five pounds.
Never on LPs
During the time the Beatles were together (until 1970), the logo was never used on LP covers. It first appeared in 1982 on a “Greatest Hits” LP. Only four years later, in 1986, was the logo officially registered as a trademark in the UK.
Other artists
WTR also shared some other fun facts about trademarks from pop artists. Here they are:
The Elvis Presley Estate owns 500 trademark registrations in 41 countries. The Rolling Stones have 320 trademark registrations in 33 countries (all in the name of Musidor BV, based in Amsterdam The Netherlands, which manages the Stones’ rights). ABBA has 148 registered trademarks in 41 countries, and Queen has 139 in 36 countries. The Michael Jackson Estate holds 310 registrations in 42 registries.
Rihanna leads the pack
And it’s not just the old-school artists making moves: Taylor Swift (530 registrations), Kanye West (400), Katy Perry (330), and Lady Gaga (260) are also doing well. But the largest trademark portfolio belongs to Rihanna: through her management, she owns 770 registrations in 71 countries.
Fun facts to know – all thanks to WTR.
Bas Kist
Banner photo by Neil Martin on Unsplash
