WWE sent a cease and desist letter to The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson) this week claiming the Bucks were using intellectual property owned by the company, in specific the “too sweet” hand gesture. The letter threatend damages in the range of $150,000 per item, any profits made off the items and legal fees.
According to a report by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, any merchandise with references to the term “too sweet” that the Bucks were selling through their own website (YoungBucksMerch.com) and ProWrestlingTees.com has now been in removed in response. It should be noted that Bullet Club shirts being sold at Hot Topic stores nationwide did not have any reference or drawings in question by WWE, which have sold an estimated 100,000 t-shirts the last three months according to Nick Jackson.
WWE first registered ownership of the former “too sweet” hand gesture in 2015, something the Bucks responded to at the time. While it had a rich history in the early days of the nWo in WCW, WWE hadn’t used it for many years and it had a rebirth in New Japan Pro Wrestling with the formation of The Bullet Club during Finn Balor’s time with the promotion. The Young Bucks began marketing it in 2013. Getting into a legal battle with WWE right now over the trademarks was described in the report as being very costly.
WWE sent the letter after video was taken of The Bullet Club “invading” the RAW taping this past Monday in Ontario and put it online later that day as part of the “Being The Elite” YouTube series. The group promoted a last minute appearance at a Hot Topic store close to the arena and then gathered fans to walk over to do a remake of the DX invasion of WCW back in 1998. WWE sent the letter the following day claiming intellectual property violations over any references to “too sweet” including DVD releases, t-shirts, photos and other merchandise being sold. The video remains online that you can view below.