Trump brand applies for new Macau gambling trademarks – CNNMoney

A firm called DTTM Operations LLC has applied for four new trademarks under the Trump brand in Macau, according to documents published by the government of the Chinese territory last week.

The company, which lists the Trump Tower at 725 Fifth Avenue in New York City as its address, submitted the applications two months ago, the documents revealed.

The applications were first reported by the South China Morning Post.

Related: Trump's newest Chinese trademarks: Religious clothing, advertising

The trademarks are for a wide range of Trump-branded services. One application lists hotels, restaurants, bars and conference facilities, while two others list "real estate services" and "real estate development and construction."

A fourth application requests a Trump trademark for "gambling and casino services and providing casino facilities."

The Macau government lists 22 other trademarks registered by DTTM Operations for various brands dating back to 2006, including Trump Tower, Trump International Hotel and Tower and the Donald J. Trump brand.

Related: Macau billionaire found guilty of bribing UN officials

Trump relinquished control of his businesses soon after he became president but hasn't sold his stake, instead transferring it to a trust run by his two sons -- a decision that has been criticized by ethics experts as inadequate in addressing perceived conflicts of interest.

Trump's company, the Trump Organization, said in a statement to CNNMoney that it "has been zealously enforcing and protecting its intellectual property rights around the world for more than 20 years, particularly in jurisdictions where trademark infringement is rampant."

The trademark applications in Macau "simply represent a continuation of those efforts," it said.

The company hasn't announced any plans to do business in Macau, and Trump said before he took office that his firm wouldn't do any "new deals" while he's in office.

The Macau government didn't respond to a request for comment Monday.

The semi-autonomous Chinese territory has become one of the world's top gambling destinations. Prominent U.S. casino magnates like Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson already own several casinos there.

Related: China jails top casino exec over gambling crimes

Trump is a former gambling tycoon himself, having built three casinos in New Jersey's Atlantic City in the 80s and 90s. Two of them -- Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal -- have now been shut down, while the erstwhile Trump Marina Hotel Casino was sold in 2011 and rebranded as the Golden Nugget.

But none of the casinos contributing to Macau's multi-billion dollar gambling industry, which accounts for more than half of the territory's economy, currently bear the Trump name.

-- Jill Disis, Vasco Cotovio and Serenitie Wang contributed to this report

CNNMoney (New Delhi) First published August 7, 2017: 11:50 PM ET

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Trump brand applies for new Macau gambling trademarks - CNNMoney