Dhoni’s ‘Captain Cool’ trademark puts spotlight on India’s patchy IP regime

New Delhi: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of India’s most celebrated sporting icons, is in the process of getting a trademark done for his moniker “Captain Cool”, a move that goes beyond sentiment and signals a shift in how celebrity equity is protected and monetised.

While the registration cements Dhoni’s brand identity, its impact is already being felt across corporate boardrooms, advertising agencies, and legal departments. The Trade Marks Registry acknowledged that “Captain Cool” is inseparably tied to Dhoni’s public persona, turning what was once public affection into private property.

For marketers, this creates both a new commercial opportunity and a tighter creative constraint. For India’s legal ecosystem, it’s another test case in a patchwork IP landscape that remains dependent on precedent rather than codified protections.

Dhoni’s move follows a growing global trend of celebrities trademarking their identity. Michael Jordan’s ‘Air Jordan’ built a billion-dollar licensing empire. Shah Rukh Khan trademarked ‘SRK’ and ‘King Khan’; Beyoncé and Jay-Z have trademarked their children’s names; and in India, courts have recently stepped in to protect the names and likenesses of stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor.

But the Indian IP regime still lags behind. “India lacks structured guidelines for celebrity trademarks. Most protections come post misuse, not proactively,” said Sushant Chaturvedi, a media and entertainment lawyer. “We rely on precedent, not statute. The next ‘Captain Cool’ case could play out very differently. It’s a bench-by-bench story.”

For Dhoni, the motivation is clear: control the commercial use of the tag that helped define his cricketing persona. “It reflects sharp commercial acumen,” said Vivek Srivastava, founder of Integrated Brand Heuristics. “A protected identity deters misuse and adds exclusivity. It’s powerful leverage in negotiations.”

Still, Srivastava cautioned against overhyping the moment. “This isn’t a revolution—it’s evolution. You don’t begin your career as ‘The Wall’ or ‘Slinger.’ These trademarks follow success, not create it.”

Not everyone is convinced. Sridhar Ramanujam, CEO of Brand-comm, called the move “bold but limiting.”

“If I’m scripting an ad for Dhoni, I’m now boxed in by ‘Captain Cool.’ It narrows the creative brief. It could make the brand feel static. In India, where advertising often lacks originality, this might worsen that.”

Yet, Dhoni’s decision may still influence a new generation of celebrities and influencers to approach IP differently, from brand control to long-term monetisation.

But will Gen Z stars rush to trademark their social handles and catchphrases? Ramanujam is doubtful.

“You can’t engineer cultural impact in a legal office. These names are earned in the public arena, then protected. Not the other way around.”