Star Trek
Live long
and prosper.
Star Trek
Live long
and prosper.
of
On September 8, 1966, the U.S. network NBC aired the first episode of a series that was on the verge of being canceled after just its second season. Today, on September 8, 2026, this franchise turns 60 and now boasts an extensive brand portfolio. After six decades, what does Star Trek reveal about a successful trademark strategy, and what impact has Star Trek had on innovation?
From Near Cancellation to Space Icon
The broadcast of the first episode, “The Man Trap,” on September 8, 1966, marked the birth of Star Trek. The series, developed by Gene Roddenberry, was on the verge of being canceled after just its second season. It was only a fan-organized letter-writing campaign—which, according to widespread reports, yielded more than 100,000 letters to NBC—that prompted the network to subsequently announce the renewal for a third season live on the air. The third season ran from September 20, 1968, to June 3, 1969, after which the series was initially canceled. It was only the subsequent success in syndication—the resale of rerun rights to local stations—that laid the financial foundation for everything that followed.
Paramount is celebrating its 60th anniversary throughout 2026 under the theme “Space for Everybody.” The celebrations kicked off on January 1, 2026, with a custom float at the Rose Parade in Pasadena. The actual anniversary, September 8, 2026, marks the highlight of the anniversary year.
Over the course of six decades, the original television series has grown into a franchise featuring 13 feature films and, by now, more than ten television series. From the original “Star Trek” series to “The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine,” “Voyager,” and “Enterprise,” to series such as “Discovery,” “Picard,” “Lower Decks,” “Prodigy,” and “Strange New Worlds.” To mark the 60th anniversary, another series was added: “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” whose first season premiered on January 15, 2026, and concluded on March 12, 2026.
How the Communicator and the Tricorder Have Influenced Real-World Technology
For decades, Star Trek has been regarded as a source of inspiration in the tech industry. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the cell phone, has repeatedly stated publicly that the flip-open communicator from the original series inspired him to develop the first portable cell phone. Motorola’s later flip phone, the StarTAC, is also frequently associated with that prop. The tablet-like PADD from later series is also often cited in the tech press as a conceptual model for today’s tablet computers.
This role model function was particularly evident in the Tricorder, the series’ multifunctional handheld scanner. In 2012 , chip manufacturer Qualcomm and the XPRIZE Foundation offered a prize of $10 million through the Tricorder XPRIZE Competition for the development of a portable diagnostic device that laypeople could use to assess their health without medical assistance. The competition concluded in 2016, with a U.S. team and a Taiwanese team receiving the top prizes for prototypes capable of non-invasively measuring multiple vital signs and detecting various medical conditions. Although the devices fell short of the fictional model, they demonstrate how a fictional invention can mobilize real research funding.
The room-filling display screen on the bridge—which replaced a window in the original series— is occasionally cited in the technology press as an early conceptual exploration of the large-format flat-screen displays that are commonplace today—displays that were still considered purely futuristic in the 1960s.
Klingon becomes a constructed language with its own dictionary
One of the unique features of the franchise is the Klingon language, which was developed specifically for it. In 1985, linguist Marc Okrand expanded on the initial sound sequences devised by actor James Doohan to create a complete constructed language. That same year, he published the book*The Klingon Dictionary*. The Klingon Language Institute was founded in 1992. Since then, it has published its own academic journal and, among other achievements, produced a complete translation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” into Klingon. On March 15, 2018, the language-learning provider Duolingo released a free Klingon course under license from CBS Consumer Products; however, due to insufficient user numbers, the course was discontinued in 2021.
A brand portfolio like a star atlas
This sheer volume of titles, characters, and inventions is also the reason why trademark law plays such a significant role for a franchise of this kind. As the rights holder, CBS Studios Inc. enjoys extensive global protection for trademarks related to the Star Trek universe. The EUIPO’s Union Trademark Register alone contains numerous trademarks. Protected is not only the series title itself, which was registered as the word mark “STAR TREK.” Character names such as COMMANDER WILLIAM RIKER, LT. COMMANDER DATA, CAPTAIN JEAN-LUC PICARD, and, of course, SPOCK are also secured as separate trademarks. But even the names of alien races such as KLINGON and FERENGI have been registered. The same applies to technical terms such as TRICORDER, PHASER, and COMMUNICATOR. Well-known phrases from the series, such as “LIVE LONG AND PROSPER,” “TO BOLDLY GO,” “RESISTANCE IS FUTILE,” and “BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY,” are also listed in the register as separate trademarks.
CBS Studios has also registered symbols such as the Starfleet logo and the Vulcan salute as figurative marks.
The applications span a wide range of classes. These range from pharmaceutical and medical products in Class 5, to clothing, jewelry, and toys, to advertising services in Class 35 and food and beverage services in Class 43. Behind this lies a wide-ranging merchandising business centered on the franchise.
What Companies Can Learn from This Trademark Strategy
CBS Studios protects not only the main title but also supporting characters, quotes, and technical fantasy terms across multiple product categories simultaneously. It is this breadth that makes it possible to outsource merchandising to specialized partners without losing control over the respective trademark.
Companies like CBS Studios, which produce virtually no products under their own trademarks, rely on sound licensing agreements with manufacturers of toys, clothing, or collectibles. Our consulting on trademark licensing consistently demonstrates in practice that quality assurance and oversight of licensees are crucial to whether a trademark retains its value in the long term.
It is important to consistently and often proactively register trademarks related to the STAR TREK franchise. Trademarks should be secured as early as the development phase of a new product, rather than waiting until after its market launch, by which time copycats may have already taken action.
Conclusion
Even after 60 years, Star Trek demonstrates that a consistent trademark strategy is not a byproduct of creative success, but rather what secures that success economically. CBS Studios has thus been able to turn a fictional universe into a viable licensing business that extends far beyond television and film.
It remains to be seen, however, whether each of the older, highly specific trademark registrations would actually withstand a defense based on non-use.
For companies, the practical lesson lies less in the sheer size of the portfolio than in the discipline behind it. Those who register new products, characters, or slogans early on, document their use, and clearly regulate licensing to third parties through contracts secure the economic value of their commercial designations—regardless of whether their company has been on the market for 60 years or just a few. The same applies to trademarks: Long life and prosper.
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