'The Situation' Can't Be Trademarked

(NewsCore) - "Jersey Shore" personality Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino has been touted as one of the most bankable reality stars in the U.S., but he will not be making bank on his nickname, The Smoking Gun reported Thursday.

Sorrentino, 29, filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office earlier this year seeking to trademark "The Situation," a nickname he attributes to his abdominal muscles, in order to market a line of T-shirts and underwear.

His bid was rejected, however, due to its likeness to a "Situation" trademark issued last year to a Memphis-based clothing and shoe retailer, according to the website.

Sorrentino’s lawyers disputed the similarity.

"The presence of the article 'The' is a key component of the mark, as it refers specifically to Mr. Sorrentino, and it reflective of how the term is used when applied to Mr. Sorrentino," his lawyers argued.

The USPTO examining attorney, Simon Teng, was not persuaded and cited a "likelihood of confusion" in his refusal of the trademark, The Smoking Gun said.

Sorrentino’s rejection comes a month after castmate Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi was denied a trademark for her nickname.

The USPTO ruled that "Snooki" was too similar to a registered titled of a children's book, "Adventures of Snooky," about a cat who falls overboard while fishing.