Why do celebrities trademark their babies’ names?

The Kardashians, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have all filed to trademark their children’s names. Images: Getty

Beyoncé, Rihanna, Victoria Beckham and Bruce Springsteen have all registered their names as trademark, and now the Kardashian family have allegedly asked to trademark their children’s names.

The Kardashian-Jenner clan have filed to trademark the names of Stormi Webster, True Thompson and Saint, Chicago and North West, according to TMZ.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z have also filed trademarks for the names of their children, Rumi Carter, Sir Carter and Blue Ivy.

Can they even do that?

If you’re in the US, the answer is generally yes, but there are rules.

Before Jay-Z and Beyoncé submitted their application to trademark their children’s names, two other people tried to claim the trademark for “Blue Ivy Carter”.

The US Patent and Trademark Office threw those claims out as it’s illegal to register a trademark without a genuine affiliation.

That means that you can’t trademark someone else’s name without their permission.

But if you do have affiliation, you have a better shot, but still not great. Jay-Z and Beyoncé don’t yet own the trademark for “Blue Ivy Carter”.

The musical super-couple wanted to register the name under the child or baby products category, meaning any other attempt to use the name to sell children’s products would be disputable. They’ve also tried to register it for use on fragrances, clothing and entertainment and pretty much everything in between.

But the superstar couple weren’t really interested in a trademark for commercial reasons; they wanted to protect their children.

“People wanted to make products based on our child’s name and you don’t want anybody trying to benefit off your baby’s name,” Beyoncé told Vanity Fair in 2013.

It’s actually where the Carters have struggled: they haven’t been able to prove they’re registering their children’s names for commercial use, rather than just to prevent them from commercial misuse.

Now the Kardashian-Jenner clan are allegedly doing the same thing, registering their children’s names under the children’s products category.

Presumably there will be some Kardashian-branded children’s goods somewhere down the line.

This means it’s more like the Kardashian-Jenners will succeed: they’ve established a clear commercial use reason for the trademark.

So, if you’re in the market for some Kardashian-branded children’s clothes: watch this space.

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