You might assume that if your name is famous enough, or distinctive enough, you’ll have an easier time getting it trademarked.
Serena Williams’ recent trademark case shows why that assumption can be risky.
On August 12, 2026, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) affirmed a refusal to register SERENA VENTURES, the name associated with Williams’ venture capital business. The reason wasn’t that there was anything wrong with Serena Williams using her own name. The problem was an earlier trademark registration for SERENA covering overlapping investment and financing services.
And that distinction matters for every business owner choosing a brand.
What Does “Likelihood of Confusion” Mean?
The TTAB is the part of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that, among other things, reviews certain trademark registration disputes and refusals.
In this case, the issue was likelihood of confusion.
That’s trademark-law language for a fairly simple question: are the marks and the goods or services close enough that consumers could mistakenly believe they come from the same source or are connected?
The Board concluded that SERENA VENTURES and the earlier SERENA registration were too close when considered alongside their overlapping financial and investment services. Although customers seeking venture capital services may exercise more care than an everyday shopper, that wasn’t enough to overcome the other factors pointing toward likely confusion.
Even a Famous Name Doesn’t Automatically Win
This is where the decision gets especially useful for entrepreneurs.
There’s no serious question that Serena Williams is famous. The Board itself recognized her as a well-known tennis player.
But being famous in tennis didn’t automatically establish that consumers encountering SERENA VENTURES in the financial-services market would understand the mark differently from the already-registered SERENA mark.
In other words, fame doesn’t give you a shortcut around existing trademark rights in another commercial field.
That’s an important lesson even if you aren’t a celebrity. Maybe your company uses your last name. Maybe you’ve built a large social media following around your personal brand. Or maybe you created a business name you’re convinced nobody else could have thought of. None of those things automatically mean the trademark is available.
Not sure if your own brand name is actually clear? Book a free trademark consultation and we’ll help you find out before you find out the hard way.
A Search Engine Isn’t a Trademark Search
The practical lesson isn’t to avoid personal names. It’s to search before you invest heavily in a brand.
A meaningful trademark search isn’t just about finding another business using the exact same name. You need to consider similar names, related goods and services, existing federal registrations and applications, and whether consumers could reasonably see two brands as connected.
That’s exactly why doing a real trademark search early can save you trouble later.
The August 12 decision was non-precedential, which simply means the TTAB isn’t treating it as binding precedent for future cases. But the underlying trademark principles it illustrates are ones every founder should understand.
And there’s an important piece of context here: this isn’t a breaking setback for Williams’ investment business. The fund had already rebranded from Serena Ventures to Starfire Ventures before the TTAB issued its decision. The fund’s stated rationale was to build something bigger than her personal identity, while her attorney characterized the trademark matter as an older application the fund was no longer pursuing.
So this isn’t a story about Serena Williams doing something wrong. It’s a story about how trademark law works, even for sophisticated applicants with exceptionally recognizable names.
Search First. Build Second.
Your personal name, reputation, or following can be incredibly valuable to your business. But none of them automatically clear the trademark register.
Before you spend money on logos, websites, packaging, advertising, or a major launch, find out what trademark rights may already be standing in your way.
If you want to know where your brand stands, book a free call with Indie Law and we’ll walk you through it.