Viacom International looks to release limited edition NFT collections that can be downloaded.
The entertainment company, Viacom International, filed two applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to patent the iconic characters of the cartoon “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” in the metaverse, to launch virtual products, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
The Announcement
USPTO Licensed Trademark Attorney Mike Kondoudis revealed that:
“Viacom Int’l has registered 2 trademarks for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES! The submissions affirm plans to expand the #TMNT brand to: NFT + NFT-backed media, Crypto-collectibles, NFT + Crypto-collectible transfer software. #NFT #Metaverse #Web3 #TMNTMovie #NFTs #Crypto.”
The applications were filed on September 6 and are “97580511” and “97580512”, in which Viacom describes that it seeks to create digital art inspired by the iconic “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, entertainment products in the metaverse and NFT collections.
At the end of 2021, Funko launched a collection of NFTs from the Star Trek universe, with digital pieces of the most important characters, which can be exchanged for Funko collectible pieces, as part of a celebration project promoted by ViacomCBS.
“We are long-time fans of the Star Trek universe and are honored to join ViacomCBS in celebrating the franchise with this exciting Digital Pop! ™. With a dedicated and loyal fan base from every generation, these offerings will appeal to a variety of fans as a new and advanced way to collect iconic characters from The Original Series.”
“The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” Seeks to Launch NFT Collection in the Metaverse
On this occasion, Viacom seeks to launch into the metaverse the characters of one of the most famous cartoons in the world in the 1980s and 1990s, under the Software-As-a-Service (SAAS) business model for its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collection, which can be paid with cryptocurrencies.
In addition, Viacom seeks that its collections can be paid with tokens on Platform-As-a-Service (PAAS) platforms, although it did not specify in which marketplace or platform it will sell the NFTs. It also seeks that the pieces sold can be downloaded to their holders’ computers through software specialized in cryptocurrency and NFT payments.
The metaverse has attracted the attention of entertainment and video game executives since the beginning of the year. In February, Nintendo spoke out about the metaverse and NFTs, announcing that the company is interested in integrating them into its games, though it didn’t reveal which titles or any release dates.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa revealed that they have an interest in NFTs and the metaverse, and even find them a “surprise and fun” to the company. MST Financial Senior Analyst David Gibson emphasized that Nintendo’s stance on NFTs and the metaverse is because “they feel it may have potential,” but that they first need to define a clear strategy.
By Audy Castaneda
