Big Hit Entertainment has trademarked the band name “BTS” and the fan club name “Army,” as the K-pop group continues to gain popularity abroad.

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“BTS” and the group’s trapezoid logo are both trademarks of Big Hit Entertainment. The agency applied for trademark status for the band’s name July 11 and recently passed screening. It applied for trademark status for the logo July 5, 2017, and received it Sept. 18, 2018.

The name “Army” and the fan club’s logo are also trademarks of Big Hit Entertainment.

The label has owned the trademarks “Bangtansonyeondan” (BTS’ Korean name) and “Bangtan Boys” since 2012, but decided to register additional trademarks after the group rose to international stardom and became widely known as “BTS.”

Although it is common for agencies to turn band names into trademarks, this is rare for the names of fan clubs. The group’s worldwide influence was a factor.

BTS released “Love Yourself: Answer” in August and swept charts both locally and globally. International fans can see the band Dec. 8-9 at the Taiwan International Baseball Stadium, a stop on the “Love Yourself” tour.

By Lee Tae-hee (taeheelee@heraldcorp.com)