MS Dhoni’s ‘Captain Cool’ Trademark Faces Legal Pushback Over Lack of Proof and Generic Nature

MS Dhoni’s widely known moniker ‘Captain Cool’ may not be his alone to own, at least not just yet. A legal opposition has been filed against his trademark application for the phrase, citing multiple concerns ranging from lack of distinctive character to procedural irregularities in the filing process.

The trademark application, originally filed in June 2023, was officially accepted and advertised by the Kolkata Office of the Trademarks Registry in June 2025. It was published in the Trademarks Journal on June 16, 2025, marking the start of the 120 day opposition window. Within this timeframe, parties are permitted to challenge the registration. One such challenge has now been made public.

Delhi based advocate Nilanshu Shekhar, representing the opposing party, has questioned the legitimacy of the application. The opposition claims that the term ‘Captain Cool’ is too generic and descriptive to be exclusively trademarked by a single individual, even someone as iconic as Dhoni. The phrase, they argue, has been used widely in sporting circles and has been attributed to multiple players in different contexts, long before Dhoni became synonymous with it.

The core of the opposition also focuses on the procedural journey of the application. Initially filed on a ‘proposed to be used’ basis, Dhoni’s team later amended the filing to state that the term had been used since 2008. However, according to Shekhar, this amendment came without the submission of mandatory evidence. There were no affidavits, commercial invoices, or advertising documents provided to establish that the term had indeed been in consistent commercial use for the stated period.

Furthermore, the challenge claims that no material was offered to prove the phrase was linked to Dhoni’s business ventures, particularly in Class 41, which covers entertainment, sports training, and education. This lack of supporting documentation weakens the claim that the title has achieved a secondary meaning that ties it directly and exclusively to Dhoni in a commercial sense.

The opposition also points out procedural lapses on the part of the Trademarks Registry. These include unresolved earlier trademark citations and the alleged failure of the Registry to send required rectification notices during the process. These technical gaps, the firm argues, further disqualify the trademark from being granted protection at this stage.

With the 120 day window closing in mid October, Dhoni’s legal team now has limited time to respond and submit clarifications or proof that may help retain the application’s standing. If the opposition is successfully countered and no further objections surface within the stipulated period, the trademark could still be approved and granted to Dhoni. But as it stands, the process could face significant delays or even rejection depending on how the Registry evaluates the merit of the arguments.

This case adds a new layer to the growing discussion around celebrity trademarks and the challenge of balancing fame with legal distinctiveness. It also spotlights the increasing complexity of branding in modern sports, where names and phrases can become multimillion dollar assets or battlegrounds depending on how they are protected.

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