What I Learned Today - The 17 Most Recognizable Trademarked Sounds

12th August 2008

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The 17 Most Recognizable Trademarked Sounds

potato-potato-potato! Do you know what that sound is? Maybe you don’t recognize the onomatopoeia, but you must certainly know the actual sound. It’s the Hog Call! The rev of a Harley Davidson - one of the most recognized sounds from one of the most recognized brands in the US.

So what’s “potato-potato-potato?” It’s the sound that Harley tried to trademark back in the 90s. In 1994, Harley filed a registration for a trademark of its V-twin engine sound. It read “the mark consists of the exhaust sound of applicant’s motorcycles, produced by V-twin, common crankpin motorcycle engines when the goods are in use.”

Though it was denied, there are, indeed, some sound trademark applications that made it through. About 300, in fact. Some of the most recognized are:

NBC’s musical notes G, E, C played on chimes. NBC was the first to trademark a sound for its radio broadcasting services in 1950.
MGM’s lion’s roar
The song “Sweet Georgia Brown” for The Harlem Globetrotters
Tetris’ “electronic Russian folkstyle tune,” owned by Elorg Company
Intel’s 5 note ding
“D’Oh” spoken by Homer is owned by Fox
The 9 bars of musical chord in the key of B Flat that typically opens a Twentieth Century Fox movie
Looney Toons Theme Song, owned by Time Warner
The spoken letters “AT&T” with a music in the background
“Cha-Ching,” owned by Checker’s Restaurants
“Yahoo!” sung in a yodeling style
Nokia’s default ringtone
Mister Softee’s Jingle
“Hello and Welcome to Moviefone,” owned by America Online
The sound of the crowd & bell from the New York Stock Exchange’s trading floor
TiVo’s popping sounds (in 2 and 6 tones)
Pillsbury Doughboy’s giggle

Can’t you just hear them already? If not, head over to the US and Patent Trademark Office where they have sound files to refresh your memory.