Many musicians have filed trademark requests for specific catchphrases in order to capitalize off of them. Megan The Stallion was granted a trademark for “Hot Girl Summer.” Cardi B tried to trademark “Okurrr,” but her application was denied. Kanye West is the next musician to seek a trademark. The rapper filed an application to trademark his “Sunday Service,” but the request was reportedly recently denied.
West began curating Jesus-centered gospel events aptly titled Sunday Service earlier this year and applied for the phrase to be trademarked back in July. He wanted to be able to exclusively use the phrase on merch items such as hoodies, dresses, footwear, jackets, loungewear, scarves, shirts, and socks. But according to a report by TMZ, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office won’t let him own the phrase. Apparently someone else beat Kanye to the punch and applied for the trademark status before him. According to the governmental office, having two companies with a “Sunday Service” trademark would cause confusion in the marketplace.
As of now, Kanye has two options: Either he can push back against the decision with a legal team or he can forgo the trademark status and continue profiting from his Sunday Service merch items.
