According to recent reports, WWE is playing the 'name game' again. Multiple sources are reporting that World Wrestling Entertainment filed trademarks for a number of its up-and-coming stars this week, including WWE Hall of Famer and current AEW star, Edge..While that's not unusual for the company, its policies on trademarks have been confusing, at best. And at worst, their practices could be considered cold and calculating.

Among the trademarks filed was a request to retain the name Edge as one of its intellectual properties. While the Rated-R Superstar kept his awesome entrance theme, he had to switch back to his birth name. After initially it seemed that WWE would let the "Edge" copyright expire without renewing it, now it appears that WWE wants to keep Copeland's fictional moniker forever.

While it's completely within their rights for WWE to try and hold on to the intellectual property that they established, it also caused a lot of confusion among the characters and an overall bad look at the company. With all the positive changes that have been happening in the promotion recently, is pure greed the only reason they continue following this practice?

WWE Looks To Keep Edge's Moniker Trademarked

The Promotion Recently Filed Action to Keep the Name

Without a doubt, the name Edge and some of the characteristics of Copeland's character were initially all created by WWE. But the star made that identity, and for over two decades, he went on to fine-tune his persona all on his own. So you could make the case that Copeland 'owns' the character from a creative standpoint. He was, at least, able to trademark the "Rated R Superstar" moniker he was associated with for most of his career.

But just as art always outshines the artist, the name itself carries more weight in of merchandising and marketing. So, from a legal perspective, it's a slam dunk that WWE would keep the moniker. However, it seems odd that they would hold back anything from Copeland, who was always a good soldier for the promotion and (quite literally) put his life on the line for the good of the organization. He's also generally beloved by WWE fans. Because of that, it was a bad look for the company to treat him like a new kid fresh off the street.

Why WWE Is So Big on Trademarks —And Who It Hurts Most

Renaming a Wrestler Is Somewhat Standard Practice For The Company

Like everything else that goes on in WWE, this issue revolves around money. More specifically, WWE and TKO Sports, by owning a star's name and likeness, guarantee themselves future earnings. World Wrestling Entertainment's established intellectual property is considered a financial asset, just as much as tangible things like the rings they own or the office they operate.

There's nothing wrong with profiting from something that you've created. However, it also paints a negative image of the company in the eyes of fans, who are removed from a business-focused mindset and see this practice as hurting performers who gave a lot to the company. Another significant aspect is that, when a wrestler arrives at WWE after building a name outside of it, the company often rebrands them with a new name. This was particularly frequent when Vince McMahon was in charge, and it caused frustration and confusion among fans. However, the same thing just happened to Ricky Saints, fka Ricky Starks in AEW.

The promotion has lifted the veil on so many of its procedures, yet it continues to try to rewrite a wrestler's identity -sometimes, with horrible results. The argument could be made that it's meant to not only thwart their competition, but also so the performers themselves can't benefit directly, either. That may sound like a demonization of WWE, but it's still an opinion that many in the fan base believe to be true.

A Battle Over Identity That Fans Don’t Want

Some in the WWE Universe Get Infuriated Over Name Changes

All the name switching and character shifts over the years confuse the fan base, especially the more casual fans. It's hard for anyone to become fully invested in a performer when you are unfamiliar with their facade. Even some of the most successful NXT stars - wrestlers who were already under contract - have had name changes when they made the jump to the main roster. It can be an easy switch, like when Walter morphed into Gunther. It was a pretty seamless transition.

On the flip side, when Killer Kross signed with WWE, he had a built-in gimmick and had established himself as one of the top free agents in the world. Not only did WWE change his name in NXT, they then 're-imagined' his whole character on the main roster, leading to a hysterically awkward change in ring gear. Still, this was another attempt to make a wrestler and turn him into an action figure or a t-shirt that the company can market. It flopped miserably, and it took years for Kross to recover.

That's been a thorn in the side for the wrestlers and the fans. The inconsistency with which WWE uses this policy is confusing as well. Why are some wrestlers allowed to use and keep their ring names, while others aren't? Many Indy performers and former TNA stars have come in and used their proven personas. Samoa Joe and AJ Styles, for instance, didn't get a new identity when they came to WWE. So why change some and not the others?

With ticket prices at an all-time high and the company's profits booming, WWE comes off as greedy and self-serving when it comes to the 'name game'. Fans are tired of having to play magical monikers just to keep track of who everyone is. Even if a WWE star defects to another promotion, like Edge did, one would assume that the business and WWE are at a mature enough stage to just let the veterans keep the identities they worked hard to establish?