Naming a Building: Property Marks, Development Brands, and the Signage That Outlives the Owner
By Casey Scott McKay ·
A building has a name, and the name is worth something to at least four parties who each assume they own it. This article works through what a property name actually is in trademark terms, when it functions as a source identifier rather than as an address, and the geographic descriptiveness problem that catches most development brands. It then covers naming rights agreements — the sponsorship deals that attach a company's name to a stadium, a tower, or a concert hall — and the questions they answer badly: duration, insolvency, reputational reversion, and what happens when the sponsor is acquired. The second half addresses the branding of master-planned communities and mixed-use developments, hotel and residential flags, control of renderings and architectural imagery, and the transfer questions that arise when a property changes hands and the name does not automatically follow.
IP and Technology > Trademarks | Article | Published 28 May 2026 - Updated 28 July 2026 | Casey Scott McKay - marksy.us
Summary. A building has a name, and the name is worth something to at least four parties who each assume they own it. This article works through what a property name actually is in trademark terms, when it functions as a source identifier rather than as an address, and the geographic descriptiveness problem that catches most development brands. It then covers naming rights agreements — the sponsorship deals that attach a company's name to a stadium, a tower, or a concert hall — and the questions they answer badly: duration, insolvency, reputational reversion, and what happens when the sponsor is acquired. The second half addresses the branding of master-planned communities and mixed-use developments, hotel and residential flags, control of renderings and architectural imagery, and the transfer questions that arise when a property changes hands and the name does not automatically follow.
Keywords: property marks · building names · naming rights agreements · development branding · community and association marks · hotel flags · signage rights · renderings and architectural imagery · geographic descriptiveness · service mark use in real estate · transfer of marks on sale · master planned community names · retail centre branding · mixed use developments · sponsorship naming · historic building names · domain and listing control · brokerage marketing rights · condominium association marks
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