Dwayne Johnson's getting a more than a seat on TKO Group Holdings' board of directors — he's owning names, too.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, TKO, which owns the WWE, named Johnson to its board of directors. Along with that, the company also gave the wrestler/actor the intellectual property and trademark rights to his iconic stage name: The Rock.
“Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?” All rights reserved
However, a new filing states that The Rock got more than just the name rights. Along with it came IP rights and trademarks to his various nicknames and catchphrases, including The Rock.
And since he now owns the name The Rock, he also owns his iconic tagline: “If you smell what The Rock is cooking.”
He also owns his other nicknames such as The Brahma Bull, The People's Champion and The Samoan Sensation. And where his nicknames and taglines go, so do his finishing moves like The Rock Bottom and People's Elbow.
Not only that, this deal also gives Johnson the rights to his infamous in-ring insults. According to a copy of the IP Assignment Agreement that the entertainment magazine obtained from TKO's latest 10-K, Johnson also owns the rights to jabroni, candy ass, roody poo and “Know your role and shut your mouth.”
Whew.
The actor joined TKO's board of directors in January, a few days before Vince McMahon resigned, which overshadowed The Rock's unprecedented spot at the company's table. More than just a seat, Johnson will also receive a stock award valued at $30 million. This is part of a promotional services agreement that will vest over time. He'll also still be able to receive royalties from the merchandise sales bearing his trademarks.
According to a source, the WWE now has an exclusive 10-year license to use The Rock IP. During this period, the actor can't license all of his The Rock IP to business that compete with TKO.
In an excerpt to the filing, Johnson also owns the rights to “other nicknames, caricatures, voice, signature, gestures, routines, costumes or part of costumes, accessories, [and] crowns” that are associated with his The Rock WWE persona.
The full list of The Rock IP granted by the TKO and WWE aside from the ones already mentioned are:
- Rocky Maivia
- Team Corporate
- Rock Nation
- The Nation
- The Blue Chipper
- The Great One
- Team Bring It
- The Rock Just Bring It
- Finally, The Rock has come back to …
- It doesn't matter what…
- Blue Hell
- The millions… (and millions)
- Rockpocalypse
- Project Rock
- The most electrifying man in sports and entertainment
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