Just in case the links were funky, I searched for it in the USPTO database. This application is NOT for a word mark or graphic in any way. It is for the word “THE” on apparel items. There is no graphic. There is no font, size, or color specified. Any use of the the word “THE” on any apparel item would be covered by this trademark. My example stands: a t-shirt saying “May the force be with you” would violate this trademark, if it were granted, which it won’t.
Note that the USPTO requires that you select a category when you apply for a trademark. So saying that it’s only for apparel doesn’t make this a “smart” trademark. It’s still dumb. Note also that it doesn’t even limit it to uppercase letters. All trademarks are represented in upper-case letters in the USPTO database, and apply to all combinations of upper and lower case for the given word, unless it’s associated with a wordmark or graphic logo.
So, yeah, stupid trademark application.
