Beyoncé and Jay-Z have recently tried to trademark their daughter, Blue Ivy’s name, however it appears a wedding planner is already using the name and has been trading under the name since 2009.
Even though someone else is using the name, the couple is still going ahead with trademarking the name. They wish to use the trademark in connection with goods and services in countries they succeed in registering Blue Ivy Carter.
Many IP lawyers do not think that the couple are using the trademark to the full potential as a trademark is linked to a particular product, whereas the baby has not endorsed any products and will most likely not. The meaning of trademark is to allow trading, not to stop a personal name from being used by others.
Trademarking a name
Many celebrities trademark their name for instance Alan Titchmarsh, other IP lawyers think that the couple are being clever as they are trademarking the name for commercial value as well as using it as a weapon against third party use.
The couple have been successful in Europe and registered the name for a selection of goods such as cosmetics, DVDs and baby strollers. Trademarking is the obvious choice as there is no history of commercial endorsement.
However, when trademarking a name it is important to remember that it becomes a piece of property that can be bought and sold, it also loses its personalisation. Baby Ivy’s name will become intellectual property, which is a commodity.
