Denver-area newspaper readers may soon find a new, free publication on newsstands.
A Wellesley, Mass.-based newspaper company called 365 Media USA has secured a trademark for the name DenverNow, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The company recently launched BostonNow, a free tabloid that incorporates content generated by bloggers and by staff reporters. It has trademarked comparable names in about two dozen markets, including Houston, Detroit and San Francisco.
The company’s wide-ranging trademarking effort follows a similar move by Clarity Media Group, the newspaper company backed by Denver investor Philip Anschutz. Clarity, which owns the San Francisco Examiner, has trademarked the Examiner name in more than 60 cities, including Denver.
If launched in Denver, the free publications would primarily compete with the Denver Daily News. That free newspaper appears Monday through Friday.
Free daily newspapers are largely aimed at younger readers hungry for entertainment and music news, said John Morton, a newspaper analyst in Silver Spring, Md.
It’s unclear how profitable the papers are, as most of the companies are privately held, he said.
“The fact that they continue to publish suggests that the owners are happy with the results,” he said. “It appears that they are finding a niche to serve.”
Staff writer Will Shanley can be reached at 303-954-1260 or wshanley@denverpost.com.
