Image: AEW/Lee South

Taking advantage of WWE allowing their trademark to lapse, Cody Runnels filed for a trademark on the “Cody Rhodes” name with the US Patent and Trademark Office on April 13th.

Fightful was the first to report the news.

WWE had owned the rights to the name since filing for it in June of 2007. Fightful noted WWE was notified in October 2018 that the mark was set to expire in a year, plus an additional six month grace period. WWE didn’t refile so Runnels made the move the first day he was able to.

When Runnels left WWE in 2016, he went by his real name and eventually just Cody in order to avoid any legal issues. He said last year that he could use the Cody Rhodes name, but chose not to. It’s unclear whether he will adopt the full name in AEW if he is successful in acquiring the trademark.

Runnels has been active with trademarks on certain terms or concepts that his father created or came up with. One example is AEW using the Bash At The Beach name earlier this year which WWE objected to despite Runnels owning the rights.

Runnels also owns trademarks like The American Dream, The American Nightmare, Dusty Rhodes, Battlebowl, Bunkhouse Stampede, The Prince of Wrestling, and The Match Beyond, all related to wrestling use.