Trademark: Rollerblade [1]

First Use: March 1983

Current Owner: TECNICA GROUP S.P.A. [2]

Original Owner: Rollerblade, Inc.

Trademark Type: traditional trademark; word mark

Primarily Known For: boots equipped with longitudinally aligned rollers used for skating and skiing

Generic Phrase: inline skates, as in Rollerblade® Brand inline skates

Also a trademark for: clothing [3]; knee pads and elbow pads [4]; protective gear for athletic use [5]; protective helmets [6]; footwear, clothing, and hats [7]; sports bags and backpacks [8]; brochures, greeting cards, pencils, pens, and stickers [9]; among other products and services.

Brief (and likely incomplete) History: [10]

Did you know that inline skates were actually invented prior to the “conventional” two-by-two roller skates seen at skating rinks across the country? Inline skates were first created in the early 1700’s when a Dutchman attached wooden spools to his shoes to simulate ice skating. It wasn’t until over a hundred years later in 1863 when an American developed two-by-two roller skates with the wheels positioned side by side.

In 1980, two hockey-enthusiast brothers from Minnesota (Scott and Brennan Olsen) discovered an old inline skate in a sporting goods store. Given the similarities to ice skates, they thought the design would be perfect for off-season hockey training. Working out of their parent’s basement, the two went to work on creating an improved model of inline skates and the first Rollerblade® inline skate was born. The Rollerblade® brand of inline skates quickly took off as a training tool among hockey players and skiers before later expanding to use on beaches and playgrounds around the world (and as Ken’s favorite mode of transportation).

[1] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,326,171, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=1326171&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch.

[2] Rollerblade Inline Skates Official Website, Rollerblade, available at https://www.rollerblade.com/usa/en.

[3] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,609,154, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=1609154&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch.

[4] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,609,154, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=1609154&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch.

[5] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,905,753, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=1905753&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch.

[6] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,868,133, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=1868133&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch.

[7] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 2,021,339, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=2021339&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch.

[8] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 2,405,665, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=2405665&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch.

[9] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 3,074,448, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=3074448&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch.

[10] About Us, Rollerblade, available at https://www.rollerblade.com/usa/en/about-us; The History of Rollerblades, ThoughtCo, posted April 5, 2023, and available at https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-rollerblades-1992376.