Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has suffered an early setback in his attempt to trademark the nickname "Iceman."  The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) initially refused the application on Wednesday, June 24. 

According to ESPN, the rejection had nothing to do with NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin or UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell. Instead, the office found a conflict with a trademark owned by LaCrosse Footwear.

"These marks are identical in appearance, sound, and meaning...Additionally, because they are identical, these marks are likely to engender the same connotation," the refusal letter by USPTO read, per ESPN.

According to ESPN, the trademark belongs to LaCrosse, an Oregon-based footwear company. It has owned the "Iceman" trademark since 1988 for insulated boots and boot liners. 

Williams' application covered clothing along with athletic bags, sporting goods, water bottles, a website and entertainment services. The USPTO saw too much similarity and "likelihood of confusion."

Trademark attorney Josh Gerben explained why the office objected to the filing.

"They make the connection between the other goods in Caleb's application, saying that even though these are just insulated boots. Caleb is claiming shirts and hats and pants and all these other things, that those are related goods," Gerben said.

His comments suggest the issue is because of the range of products. The ruling is only an initial refusal, meaning the Bears quarterback can still respond or appeal the decision.

While Williams still has legal options, the filing also showed why it became so important to protect the nickname.

Caleb Williams viewed the trademark filing as a defensive move

Caleb Williams earned the "Iceman" nickname during the 2025 season because of his calm performances. He later explained that the applications were defensive. His goal was to prevent others from profiting from his nickname and likeness. 

"It's more or less people making clothing or people making things like that, and I can't control what people are making of me or anything like that and putting the name on it. And so it's just to control that aspect of it," Williams told Front Office Sports on April 3.

Josh Gerben also noted that initial refusals are common during the trademark process. According to USPTO data, about 63.5% of recent trademark applications receive an initial refusal. Gerben believes Williams may still have a case.

"The registration that they're citing here is obviously a very limited product line. Literally insulated boots," Gerben said, per ESPN. "Look, it might be harder for him to get Iceman registered for a brand of clothing items because of that, but there are other things in his application that he could still wind up with a registration here."

His separate application for an "Iceman" logo remains under review. On the other hand, Gervin's applications for "Iceman" and "Iceman 44" are under review. 

What do you think? Will Caleb win his "Iceman" appeal? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Evince Das

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore