Beyoncé & Jay-Z Trademark The Name ‘Blue Ivy’

It looks like everybody is so enamored with newborn Blue Ivy Carter that some unscrupulous people are trying to profit from the little girl’s name … and it is because of that reason that new parents Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z have taken steps to officially trademark the name Blue Ivy for their use only. This means that not only can no one else use the name for financial gain but the parents can, instead, use the name Blue Ivy for any future products they wish to market. HMMM. Read below to find out more about the trademarking of Blue Ivy‘s name.

About a month after the world started buzzing about the baby name Blue Ivy, parents Jay-Z and Beyonce are applying to get the moniker trademarked. An approved trademark could give them the rights to transform Blue Ivy from tiny baby into billion-dollar brand. While Boston event planner Veronica Alexander had already named her business Blue Ivy before the baby was born, two other individuals recently submitted applications to trademark the name after the highly publicized birth, possibly leading the celebrity couple to hasten their own application. On Jan. 11, fashion designer Joseph Mbeh attempted to trademark “Blue Ivy Carter NYC” and later said in a statement that his intention was to pitch a line of products to Jay-Z and Beyonce, while on Jan. 20, a second applicant tried to trademark “Blue Ivy Carter Glory,” reportedly for a line of fragrances. The Trademark Office denied both applications. Could the pending application by Beyonce’s company, BGK Trademark Holdings, be affected by existing businesses such as the Blue Ivy event planning business or the Blue Ivy clothing boutique in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., which got approval for the trademark on its name in August 2011? “If there are existing companies using the name, it may impede Beyonce and Jay-Z from using their child’s name, but if the Trademark Office denies the application, they can amend it and change the descriptive use of their name — such as for different products — and even amend the name slightly to see if the trademark would be accepted,” said attorney Vikki Ziegler. As far as businesses that try to use the Blue Ivy name in the future, they’ll be open to liability “for all sorts of damages if the trademark is granted for Jay-Z and Beyonce,” Ziegler said. “It is a great measure of protection for superstars to protect others piggybacking off of their child identity/name/likeness to gain wealth. Imagine if they create fragrances, strollers or clothing with Blue Ivy Carter’s name and another company puts her name on their merchandise and makes $5 million? A mega lawsuit would be filed possibly for revenue, damages, legal fees and the like.” Only in the world of celebrities could a baby wield such powerful business rights. “Mega celebrities choose to protect their wealth and offspring by trademarking their family names and children in part to monetize their wealth and protect others from cashing in on their celebrity status,” Ziegler said.

As crazy as this may sound to some, it does make sense. Yes, if B-Jay are successful in their attempt to trademark Blue Ivy for their use then they will ensure that no other people can profit from the little girl’s fame. And while it is possible that Jay-Z might launch a line of Blue Ivy products at some point, my gut tells me the real reason for this trademark is to protect the baby’s name. Now, as for the other trademark holders … they are in a strong negotiating position should they want to pass the trademark off to Beyoncé and Jay. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if B-Jay decide to shell out a considerable sum of money to acquire this trademark. See folks, celebrities have problems, too. We’ll have to wait and see who ends up owning the name Blue Ivy.

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