America was shocked on September 10, 2025, when a shooter took the life of Charlie Kirk. The young political activist spent years building a national brand. However, other brands surrounding the controversial figure suddenly popped up in the days after his death. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) suddenly received an influx of Kirk-related trademark applications.

Interestingly, none of these applications were filed by Charlie Kirk’s political organization (e.g., Turning Point USA) or his estate.

USPTO Sees Influx of Charlie Kirk Trademark Applications

In the days after the Charlie Kirk assassination, there was a flood of tributes to the deceased activist. One particularly notable rallying cry was “Live Like Charlie.” The Heritage Foundation posted the quote the day after his death. The “spirit rock” in Charlotte, NC, was also vandalized with “Live Like Kirk” soon after.

As it turns out, the USPTO immediately received an application for “Live Like Charlie.” The filing came the day after Kirk’s death. If granted, this trademark registration would grant the applicant federal rights over the term. An e-commerce website also filed a trademark under the name. However, these were far from the only attempts to establish commercial rights after the assassination.

On September 13, 2025, an application seeking exclusive rights over “For Charlie” was filed. Just two days later, the use of Kirk’s name and organization in trademark applications became more blatant. Applicants sought registration for both “Turning Point USA Constitutional Churches of America” and “Charlie Kirk’s Life Matters.”

Can People Legally Profit Off Charlie Kirk’s Name?

There are a variety of considerations to account for when it comes to trademarks related to an actual person. When that person is living, the USPTO typically always refuses registration if the person does not consent. We’ve seen this repeatedly in prior months as people unrelated to President Trump unsuccessfully tried to file trademarks using his name.

In those instances, the applicants would have needed consent from Donald Trump to secure registration. However, things are more complicated when it comes to deceased figures. There are various legal mechanisms that are likely to prevent applicants from profiting from Kirk’s death.

For instance, the USPTO will reject an application if it believes there’s a false suggestion of connection to Kirk. Each of the aforementioned applications could run into this issue. Some states also provide protection via right of publicity – even after a person dies. Charlie Kirk’s estate could also file trademark oppositions to prevent registration.

Put simply, each of these applications will likely encounter hurdles.

What Happens Now?

A trademark attorney with the USPTO will review each of the applications that mention Charlie Kirk. However, this is likely to take months. The current wait time for a first review is about seven months. Unless the applicants have some connection to Charlie Kirk or his Turning Point USA organization, there’s a good chance that each will be denied.

The applications featuring the full name of Kirk or Turning Point may be rejected due to a false suggestion of connection or likelihood of confusion. The applications that only mention his first name (i.e., “Live Like Charlie” and “For Charlie”) are likely to face similar issues. Even though they only feature part of his name, the inference will likely be clear.

This is particularly true if the “Live Like Charlie” website is related to the trademark application of the same name. After all, the website specifically mentions the name Charlie Kirk – even if the “Buy Now” button doesn’t work as of this writing. Of course, it will be up to the USPTO to make these final decisions.