New York Clothing Designer Files For ‘Blue Ivy Carter NYC’ Trademark
San Diego – After intense media buzz surrounding the birth of Blue Ivy, the daughter of rap/hip hop stars Jay-Z and Beyonce, a New York City clothing designer is seeking to capitalize on baby Blue Ivy Carter’s name by filing a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
According to USPTO records, Joseph Mbeh is seeking to trademark “Blue Ivy Carter NYC” so he can stamp it on a variety of children’s clothing. Mbeh’s application covers “infant, toddler, and junior clothing” including dresses, skirts, sleepwear, undergarments, boots, shoes, and athletic footwear. In his filing with the USPTO, Mbeh claims that he began using the “Blue Ivy Carter” name as early as January 9, just two days after the child was born at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan.
The application appears domed to fail however, because a trademark application which includes a person’s name must include the written consent of that person. In this case, Mbeh apparently has no such consent from the baby’s A-list parents. Without written consent, the application will be refused registration. Even with consent the application would fail because a prior registration exists for BLUE IVY used in relation to retail apparel.
Mbeh, a Cameroon native and former Phat Farm intern, is co-owner of Fourfront, which is described as a “street contemporary-couture brand” based out of Manhattan’s Garment District. According to Mbeh, his firm’s apparel has been worn by celebrities such as rapper T-Pain and Ray J, who is the brother of television actress and R&B singer Brandy.
The application to trademark the child’s name comes in the midst of reports that a new type of marijuana has been named after Blue Ivy. The attention surrounding the unique moniker is also on the heels of reports that the couple had diva-like demands during their hospital stay and paid $1.3 million to have an entire floor of the hospital to themselves.
Beyonce, whose formal name is Beyonce Giselle Knowles, rose to fame in the late 1990’s as lead singer of R&B girl group Destiny’s Child, one of the top-selling female groups of all time. In 2008, Beyonce married rapper Jay-Z after years of speculation of whether or not the couple was actually involved with each other. Jay-Z, born Shawn Corey Carter, grew up in a housing project in Brooklyn and in his music has rapped about being involved with selling crack cocaine during his youth. The rapper has gone on to become one of the most successful rap artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth close to $500 million.
No comment was available from the child’s parents. With the popularity of both music stars and the creativeness of their child’s name, it is not surprising that someone would jump on the opportunity to capitalize on a trademark.
