This article appears on US Quidditch’s website, as well, with minor changes.
MLQ and US Quidditch have begun the process of selecting a new name for the real-life version of quidditch. The leagues will conduct a series of surveys over the next few months to guide a decision regarding the new name.
“For the last year or so, both leagues have been quietly collecting research to prepare for the move and been in extensive discussions with each other and trademark lawyers regarding how we can work together to make the name change as seamless as possible,” said MLQ Commissioner Amanda Dallas.
Real-life quidditch was originally adapted from the Harry Potter book series in 2005 at Middlebury College in Vermont by Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe. Benepe is a proponent of a name change and expressed his support of the leagues’ actions.
“I’m thrilled that USQ and MLQ are moving in this direction. Big changes like this don’t come without risk, but I’ve been a strong advocate for making this move for a long time. The sport needs its own space without limits on its growth potential and changing the name is crucial to achieving that,” Benepe said.
As the game has grown, the name “quidditch”, which is trademarked by Warner Bros., has limited the sport’s expansion, including but not limited to sponsorship and broadcast opportunities. Both leagues expect that this name change will allow for new and exciting developments for our players, fans and volunteers as the sport continues to grow.
“I believe quidditch is at a turning point. We can continue the status quo and stay relatively small, or we can make big moves and really propel this sport forward into its next phase. Renaming the sport opens up so many more revenue opportunities for both organizations, which is crucial to expansion. Through joint ownership of this new trademark, USQ and MLQ will be able to pursue sponsorships, broadcasting on major TV networks and other projects that’ll address some of the biggest barriers to playing the sport, like access to equipment,” said USQ Executive Director Mary Kimball.
Additionally, the leagues are hoping a name change can help them continue to distance themselves from the works of J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series, who has increasingly come under scrutiny for her anti-trans positions in recent years. Our sport has developed a reputation as one of the most progressive sports in the world on gender equality and inclusivity, in part thanks to its gender maximum rule, which stipulates that a team may not have more than four players of the same gender on the field at a time. Both organizations feel it is imperative to live up to this reputation in all aspects of their operations, and believe this move is a step in that direction.
MLQ and USQ plan to complete the process of surveying stakeholders by the end of January. Interested parties can participate by filling out this survey.
The date of the final reveal of the name is pending conversations with our legal team.
Though the name is changing, both leagues will retain their acronyms. USQ will be overhauling its branding. However, MLQ will only undergo a soft rebrand, with minor changes such as brand style and website upgrades.
“Since MLQ’s first season in 2015, we have strived to bring a unique game to market by building a brand that is seen as capable, reliable and premier. Although we plan to pursue this name change, we intend to keep the ‘Q’ in our name because we do not want to completely break from our humble beginnings, nor the reputation we have worked hard to build with fans, players, volunteers and other stakeholders,” said MLQ Creative and Marketing Director Mike Iadevaia.
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Major League Quidditch, US Quidditch, and their activities are not licensed by, sponsored by or associated with Warner Bros., J.K. Rowling, or their affiliates. “Quidditch”, “Harry Potter”, and all related names, characters and indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. – Harry Potter publishing rights © J.K. Rowling.