Olswang LLP, a law firm that has done work for Clarkson in the past, trademarked the names Gear Knobs and Gear Nobs on June 12, 2015. The registrations hold the titles for not just shows about cars but also a host of merchandise ranging from magazines to napkin rings. On July 28, Speedbird was also added for the same purposes.
Olswang appeared to be keeping the client for these filings private because it created a separate company before registering the names, according to BuzzFeed. The firm has worked with Clarkson and his ex-wife in the past and had a hand in structuring Top Gear's merchandising.
Obviously, there's no guarantee that Gear Knobs is the new show's name, and the June filing date is actually weeks before Amazon's official announcement on July 30. Still, the titles are at least considered important enough to protect. Amazon is betting big on the idea by reportedly paying $250 million for three, 12-episode seasons of the show, and Clarkson could be getting $15 million a year. There was possibly a bidding war behind the scenes because Apple might have been interested in luring the hosts, too.
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