Ares “Master Assemblers” working on the assembly line at the company’s facility in Melbourne, Florida, on Aug. 1, 2014. (Photo: Ares/Facebook)
Florida gun company Ares Defense had trademarked “One Rifle, Any Season!” this week, adding to the company’s “ever-growing intellectual property portfolio.”
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued the registration on April 12, a little more than a year after Ares Defense filed the request.
In a statement, the company said the trademark is generally associated with firearm products, in particular the Ares Sport Configurable Rifle (SCR), which combines aesthetic features of a traditional hunting rifle and an AR platform.
A records search shows Ares Defense has seven more trademarks registered with USPTO, including Ares SCR, Ares Self Defense, A -SCR-, Herring, MCR, Fight-Lite, and One Weapon, Any Mission!
A trademark is traditionally used to maintain brand awareness and prevent confusion with other products, but there are also far reaching legal benefits. If a competitor willfully infringes on a trademark (or a patent) — a common issue in the gun industry — and the matter is brought to court, the registered owner can be awarded monetary damages and then the competitor often must destroy inventory with the branding.
The Florida company filed suit against a competitor on the Pacific coast over trademark issues last year. In the case, Ares Defense argued California accessory maker Ares Armor, now American Weapons Components, created confusion within the gun industry by using the name “Ares.”
Although Ares Defense does not have a federal registration for the name, it argues it has claim because it has been registered in the state of Florida since 1999 and believes Ares Armor posted ads online in Florida.
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