Hasbro – South African trademarks

Updated 8 November 2026

Hasbro is an American toy and games company. Its brands include Monopoly, Nerf, Play-Doh, Transformers and My Little Pony.

How Hasbro has built and protected its brands in South Africa – its trademark portfolio, where it expanded, how quickly its marks are registered, and who it competes with.

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#321largest trademark owner in South Africa (of 121,626)
184trademarks filed
4different logos published since 2020
11of 45 classes used
1930first trademark filed
77filed in the last 10 years

Hasbro trademarks in 45 seconds

Hasbro trademarks in 45 seconds

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/hasbro-south-african-trademarks/overview-video.html

A portfolio built over time

Hasbro filed its first South African trademark in 1930 and has filed 184 since; its busiest year was 1991, with 20 new filings. The chart shows its filings per year from 1970.

Trademarks by filing year, up to 2024; applications still pending are not included.

The names behind the portfolio

Over the years the group has filed under several names – earlier company names, holding companies and subsidiaries. We count them together.

NameMarksFiling years
Hasbro1411930–2024
Hasbro International431966–1993
Hasbro Consumer Products Licensing142015–2021

Where Hasbro expanded its business

Trademark classes show what a business sells. Hasbro's portfolio is concentrated in toys & sports goods (class 28), electronics & software (class 9), education & entertainment (class 41). Its most recent moves were into cosmetics & cleaning (2004), beer & soft drinks (2004), leather & bags (2001).

Hasbro trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2024

Hasbro trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2024

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/hasbro-south-african-trademarks/class-expansion-video.html

Each tile is a class; it lights up when the group first files in it and darkens with more filings; the dots show how many of its closest rivals also file in that class. The chart compares the number of classes used with its rivals. The video runs from 1970; classes entered earlier are lit from the start.

ClassMarksShareSince
28 Toys & sports goods13271.7%1930
9 Electronics & software168.7%1982
41 Education & entertainment147.6%1993
16 Paper & print116.0%1985
25 Clothing31.6%1985
18 Leather & bags21.1%2001
30 Coffee, flour & sweets21.1%2001
3 Cosmetics & cleaning10.5%2004

The brands Hasbro protects most

The word marks and logo names Hasbro has filed most often – the same brand filed in more classes, in more versions or again over the years.

#BrandTrademarksClassesFiled
1WEEBLES991991–2004
2MICRO MACHINES771993–2001
3MY LITTLE PONY741985–2022
4HASBRO731984–2015
5HASBRO GAMES442024–2024
6TRANSFORMERS EARTHSPARK442022–2022
7TRANSFORMERS ONE442023–2023
8NERF422014–2019
9CUBBY HILL332019–2019
10TRANSFORMERS (THE)331984–1985
11TRANSFORMERS THE LAST KNIGHT332016–2016
12BUMBLEBEE222017–2017
13FRENZY221982–1982
14HEAD TO HEAD221982–1982
15MOUSETRAP221993–1993

Logos filed most often (since 2020)

Hasbro trademark logo
4 filings · 4 classes
Hasbro trademark logo
4 filings · 4 classes
Hasbro trademark logo
2 filings · 2 classes
Hasbro trademark logo
1 filing · 1 class

Hasbro's logos

The 4 different logos Hasbro has had published since 2020 – each logo shown once, however many classes or versions it was filed in. Logos protected in more classes come first.

How quickly its trademarks are registered

Over the last five years, Hasbro's marks took a median of 1.8 years from filing to registration, faster than the market's 2.7 years. Most of that time is examination: 1.1 years from filing to acceptance (market: 1.9). Registration itself follows about half a year after acceptance.

Median years from filing to registration per registration year, split into examination (filing → acceptance) and acceptance → registration; the dashed line is the market median. A high recent value means older applications came through that year.

Who files the most in Hasbro's classes

Ranked by number of trademarks filed in Hasbro's main classes – any company that files there, whatever else it does (including retailers' own brands). This shows Hasbro's market position, not who is most like it.

In the last five years, Hasbro was #4 of 842 filers in class 28 (toys & sports goods), with 14 of 1,560 trademarks; #385 of 4,926 filers in class 9 (electronics & software), with 4 of 10,252 trademarks; #118 of 3,121 filers in class 41 (education & entertainment), with 6 of 6,243 trademarks.

Hasbro's share of all trademarks filed in each of its main classes, per filing year.

Top trademark filers in class 28 (toys & sports goods), South Africa 1975–2024: Hasbro

Top trademark filers in class 28 (toys & sports goods), South Africa 1975–2024: Hasbro

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/hasbro-south-african-trademarks/class-28-race-video.html

Main competitors – the companies most like Hasbro

Ranked by how similar their whole trademark portfolio is to Hasbro's – the same mix of classes and the same words in their marks – not by size. Large filers in its classes that do something different rank lower here.

Hasbro trademarks vs competitors: filings per year, 2010–2024

Hasbro trademarks vs competitors: filings per year, 2010–2024

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/hasbro-south-african-trademarks/competitors-video.html

Trademark filings per year: Hasbro (orange) and its five closest competitors.

#CompanyRelationshipSimilarity
1Universal City StudiosOther field85%
2Viacom InternationalOther field80%
3FerreroOther field76%
4Adp GauselmannOther field75%
5South African Rugby UnionOther field75%
6Sifiso Learning GroupOther field75%
7MaseratiOther field70%
8VolkswagenOther field70%
9Warner Bros. Discovery–92%
10Dreamworks Animation–92%

Similarity of trademark activity since 2015 (classes and words used in marks). Retailers appear where their own brands compete on the shelf.

Hasbro – relevant export countries

South Africa exported US$609 m of the goods Hasbro's main classes cover in the last year – toys; games; playthings; accessories (class 28); computer software; computers; cases; headphones (class 9); books; posters; stickers; calendars (class 16); hats; t-shirts; shirts (class 25); backpacks; handbags; bags (class 18). Combining where these goods are exported, imported, growing and made (and copied), and what protection costs, these are the markets where Hasbro's trademarks matter most.

Adjust the weightings

These weightings decide how the countries below are ranked. Change any value and the others adjust to keep the total at 100%.

Worldwide

#MarketScoreSA exportsImport growth / yrRouteCost, 5 classes
1European Union74US$41 m+1%NationalUS$2,388
2United States of America72US$27 m-0%NationalUS$3,425
3United Kingdom68US$12 m-4%NationalUS$1,371
4Namibia63US$113 m+9%ARIPOUS$450
5Japan61US$328 k+1%NationalUS$1,774
6Hong Kong SAR60US$2.5 m+11%NationalUS$1,715
7Canada60US$973 k-6%NationalUS$2,192
8India59US$305 k-3%NationalUS$1,295
9Singapore59US$1.5 m+24%NationalUS$2,144
10Australia59US$4.9 m-4%NationalUS$2,380

Africa

#MarketScoreSA exportsImport growth / yrRouteCost, 5 classes
1Namibia63US$113 m+9%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
2Botswana58US$102 m-12%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
3Eswatini55US$40 m-1%NationalUS$446
4Mozambique53US$45 m-1%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
5Zimbabwe53US$34 m+7%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
6Malawi53US$12 m+28%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
7Nigeria52US$3.2 m-15%NationalUS$1,015 S&Z
8OAPI (17 states)51US$8.7 m+6%NationalUS$1,563 S&Z
9Tanzania51US$5.7 m-4%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
10Uganda49US$3.3 m+15%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z

SA exports = South Africa's exports of these goods to the market in the last year. Ranked with the default weightings. Score 0–100 from South Africa's exports of the goods to the market, net imports, import growth, foreign trademark filings, where the goods are made, market size and the cost of protection. Costs are total fees (official and professional) to file in 5 classes; ARIPO costs are per country, plus US$301 once per ARIPO application; S&Z = S&Z's own all-in price. Goods are taken from the classes and specifications, so the ranking is indicative.

Trade data: CEPII BACI (version 202601, trade flows 2022–2024), Licence Etalab 2.0; aggregated and combined with other data by S&Z.

Protecting its top brands in Nigeria and OAPI with S&Z

BrandClassesNigeriaOAPI (17 states)
WEEBLES9US$1,827US$2,302
MICRO MACHINES7US$1,421US$1,932
MY LITTLE PONY4US$812US$1,378
HASBRO3US$609US$1,194
HASBRO GAMES4US$812US$1,378

S&Z all-in prices per brand in its number of classes, filing to registration.

TM Country Selection  Rank the countries for your own goods and get the quotes.

Word marks you may have considered opposing

For Hasbro's five most-filed brands: word marks of other companies (not Hasbro's own group) that our similar word mark search, SimTM, found in the brand's own classes, and that we consider confusingly similar – from the earliest match found to today.

Similar to WEEBLES (classes 9, 16, 25, 28, 41; no close matches in the search)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found.

Similar to MICRO MACHINES (classes 16, 18, 21, 24, 25, 28, 30; searched 2018-05-30 to 2026-11-08)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.

Similar to MY LITTLE PONY (classes 9, 16, 28, 41; searched 2024-07-31 to 2026-11-08)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.

Similar to HASBRO (classes 9, 16, 28; searched 2019-03-27 to 2026-11-08)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.

Similar to HASBRO GAMES (classes 9, 16, 28, 41; searched 2019-01-30 to 2026-11-08)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.

Similarity of the words only. Whether a mark could have been opposed depends on the goods and services, the reputation of the brand and the facts – S&Z can advise. New marks like these are what SimTM watch reports as they are published.

How S&Z can help you

S&Z does not just file trademarks. We are a technology-first firm that manages trademarks – analysing your data, monitoring competitors and making sure your trademark assets remain protected.

We manage your trademarks – not just file them

Analysing your data, monitoring competitors and making sure your trademark assets remain protected:

Renewal managementEvery renewal date in your portfolio tracked and paid online.
Competitor watchGet real-time competitor analysis.
Similar-mark watchNew word marks that come close to yours, found as they are published using SimTM.
Expansion into AfricaLowest-cost trademark expansion into Africa - Nigeria, OAPI.

Filing and renewal at fixed, all-inclusive prices

S&Z prices – South African trademarks

Filing, first class – incl. official fee, examination report, routine office action, acceptance, publication, registration and e-certificateUS$240
Each additional class of the same mark, filed at the same timeUS$225
Renewal online, per class (every 10 years from filing)R1,027
≈ US$62.29

Renewal in rand; US$ at R16.49 per US$.

Hasbro's next five years of renewals

76 of Hasbro's registered marks reach their ten-year renewal date in 2027–2031. Renewed online with S&Z, that costs about US$4,733 over the five years.

Hasbro: frequently asked questions

What should Hasbro consider for its trademarks?
  • Where to file next: its goods sell strongly in Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique – markets where South African exports of the same goods are large or growing, and where S&Z files at its own all-in prices (see “Hasbro – relevant export countries”).
  • Possible gaps: its competitors also protect class 35 (advertising & retail), class 29 (meat, dairy & oils) – worth checking against what the business sells or plans to sell.
  • Fewer new brands: new brand names fell from 7.6 to 2.8 a year – worth reviewing whether planned launches are being protected early enough.
  • Renewals and use: keep track of the ten-year renewal dates and of marks that are no longer used – unused marks can be challenged after five years, and some may no longer be worth renewing.
Which of Hasbro's brands have been protected the longest?
Several of Hasbro's brands have been protected for generations and are still being filed today: MY LITTLE PONY (first filed 1985, most recently 2022); NERF (first filed 2014, most recently 2019); TRANSFORMERS THE LAST KNIGHT (first filed 2016, most recently 2016); CUBBY HILL (first filed 2019, most recently 2019); TRANSFORMERS EARTHSPARK (first filed 2022, most recently 2022). Brands that are refiled over decades – in new classes, new logos or updated packaging – keep their protection current as the business changes.
How many new brands does Hasbro launch each year?
Counting only brand names it had never filed before, Hasbro filed about 2.8 new brand names a year over the last five complete years, fewer than the 7.6 a year in the five years before; its busiest year in the last decade was 2019, with 12. Its closest competitors averaged 1.6 new brand names a year over the same period (Universal City Studios 4.0, Viacom International 0.6, Ferrero 2.6, Adp Gauselmann 1.0, South African Rugby Union 0.0). New brand names are a good indicator of product launches and innovation.
How broadly does Hasbro protect each brand?
Hasbro has filed 121 different brand names. 84% of them are protected in a single class, while 2 cover five classes or more – the widest is WEEBLES, in 9 classes. A brand used beyond its core product (merchandise, services, related goods) needs protection in each of those classes: in South Africa each class is a separate application.
When in the year does Hasbro usually file trademarks?
Over the last ten years, Hasbro filed most often in February (17% of its filings), June (16%) and July (16%); the busiest quarter was Q3 (33%). Filing well before a launch matters: rights in South Africa date from the filing date, and examination can take more than a year.
Which classes do Hasbro's competitors protect that Hasbro does not?
Several of Hasbro's closest competitors have filed since 2015 in classes Hasbro has never used: class 35 (advertising & retail, 3 of its top five competitors); class 29 (meat, dairy & oils, 2 of its top five competitors). These are not necessarily gaps – they may reflect different products – but they are worth reviewing against the goods and services the business actually offers or plans.
Why did some of Hasbro's trademarks take more than five years to register?
Of Hasbro's trademarks registered in the last two years, 23% had waited more than four years since filing. Almost all of that time is examination: the South African registry has been working through a backlog, so many applications filed in 2020–2022 are only now being accepted. Once a mark is accepted, it is advertised and normally registered within about six months. Prompt responses to the registry's examination reports (office actions) avoid adding further delay.
How long do Hasbro's South African trademarks last, and when must they be renewed?
A South African trademark registration lasts ten years from the filing date and can be renewed for further ten-year periods indefinitely. Renewal can be paid in the months before the due date, and a six-month grace period applies after it, with a late-payment fee; a mark that is not renewed is removed from the register. A registered mark can also be challenged if it has not been used for five years or more, so use matters as much as renewal.
Do Hasbro's South African trademarks protect its brands elsewhere in Africa?
No – trademarks are territorial, and a South African registration covers South Africa only. South Africa is not a member of the Madrid system, so international registration is not available to South African applicants. Protection elsewhere in Africa comes from national filings (for example Nigeria), a single OAPI registration covering 17 West and Central African states, or a regional ARIPO application designating member states such as Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. S&Z files in all of these, including Nigeria together with South Africa (SANi).
What can Hasbro do if someone files a mark similar to one of its brands?
When a new application is advertised for opposition, the owner of an earlier, similar mark can oppose it – in South Africa within three months of the advertisement (this period can be extended). After registration, a conflicting mark can still be challenged through rectification of the register, and use of a confusingly similar mark can be stopped through an infringement action. The key is seeing new applications in time, which is what a similar-mark watch does.
What is SimTM?
SimTM is the similar-trademark technology behind GlobalIPCo's South African trademark watching services, which S&Z uses. It identifies newly published trademarks that sound or look similar to a registered mark, at four levels of sensitivity that progressively widen the marks flagged – from the most relevant to marks of more general interest. It is fast enough to check every trademark journal as it is published, so owners can be alerted to similar marks while they can still be opposed within the three-month opposition period. The word marks listed under “Word marks you may have considered opposing” were found with SimTM's two closest levels and then reviewed, so only marks we consider confusingly similar to Hasbro's brands are shown.
How accurate is the information on this page?
The figures, charts and videos on this page are based on trademark and trade data obtained by S&Z, and are only as accurate as that data. Records can be incomplete, delayed or contain errors, and linking marks to Hasbro and its group companies involves judgement. S&Z therefore does not guarantee that all the information is 100% accurate or complete. It is a general overview, not legal advice: please contact S&Z before relying on it for a filing, renewal, opposition or other decision.