“Board of Peace” Trademark Filings Reveal Its Murky Legal Status
The “Board of Peace” trademarks are not owned by the organization itself, but by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, marking an unprecedented use of executive branch power to protect rights of an ambiguously defined supranational entity.
An investigation by America 2.0 reveals that Donald Trump's “Board of Peace,” ratified last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, has filed two trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
This would not be unusual except for the fact that the organization itself, which has no legally defined status, is not the holder of the trademarks. The marks are owned by the USPTO itself, marking an unprecedented use of executive branch power to protect rights of an ambiguously defined supranational entity.
The Board of Peace was created as a result of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adoption of Resolution 2803 on November 17, 2025, which authorized the organization as a “transitional administration with international legal personality” intended to “set the framework and coordinate funding for the redevelopment of Gaza.” However, the organizational charter revealed in Davos is light on details and makes no mention of Gaza. This has caused many to believe the organization may be intended as a shadow-UN that could ultimately replace it.
So far, the Board of Peace has not been registered as a legal entity in the United States (or, apparently, in any other country), raising questions about how it is processing the voluntary $1 billion fees member countries are being asked to proffer. Some have speculated that Trump himself may be collecting these fees; however, as a United States individual he would be subject to United States law. The group's status as a purely supranational organization seems to be an intentional decision to isolate the Board of Peace from the jurisdiction of any country.
Desire to avoid Congressional oversight may also be a factor. The Board of Peace mimics a treaty organization in many ways, with the United States in the position of convener. However, ratification of participation in treaty organizations requires approval by a supermajority vote by the Senate. Rather than be subject to that constraint, Trump has authorized participation in the Board of Peace entirely within the executive branch.
On January 16, 2026, Trump signed Executive Order 14375, “designating the Board of Peace as a public international organization entitled to enjoy certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities.” The order asserts that the organization is covered under the International Organizations Immunity Act (IOIA), first passed in 1945. The IOIA was designed in part to protect the independence of international organizations from unilateral interference by individual member states. The executive branch designation of the Board of Peace under this statute is a clear effort to extend privileges and immunities under the IOIA.
The organization's lack of a registered legal entity left open the thorny question of who will hold its trademarks. The solution, at least for now, was another, and apparently unprecedented, executive branch fix: have the government itself hold the trademarks on behalf of the Board of Peace, at Trump's behest.
Two trademark applications, one filed on December 30, 2025 for the “Board of Peace” name, and another on January 21, 2026 for its logo graphic, list the United States Patent and Trademark Office as owner. USPTO owns only seven other trademarks, and all of them are for USPTO-specific names and logos. Three of them focus on a 2020 USPTO program designed to raise public awareness of counterfeit goods, with marks filed for “Go For Real,” and “You're Smart. Buy Smart.”
The “Board of Peace” trademarks thus stand out as current and historical anomalies. We found no other example of USPTO being used as an intermediary holder of marks for other private entities. It is also not clear if USPTO will continue to hold the marks or will hand them over to Board of Peace if and when it formalizes its organizational and legal status. However, if Trump intends to maintain the group as a supranational organization outside the rule of law of any country, it seems possible that this status will continue indefinitely.
Under the current arrangement, Trump can continue to maintain absolute personal control as “Chairman for Life,” using the United States government to defend the organization's trademark properties — raising serious concerns about conflicts of interest.
America 2.0 has filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with multiple government agencies for information regarding the designation of the Board of Peace under the International Organizations Immunity Act (IOIA) and the use of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as a proxy for protecting the group's trademarks. We will report back when we learn more. ◼
UPDATE: An experienced DC-area patent attorney we contacted told us, “I’ve never seen anything like this. I have no idea how or why the USPTO could be the owner of these two applications, or have had the requisite bona fide intent to use the marks in commerce, which is required under Section 1(b) of the Lanham Act. I don’t see how these applications could be valid.”
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Louis Charbonneau
ABC News
