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For sometime now, the older generations have poked fun at millennials and generation Z youth for seemingly being lazy and self-absorbed. Recently, these people took back the power after the phrase “OK Boomer” was coined on social media platform TikTok. Used to poke fun at the older generations for being out of touch, it shot to international popularity after a 25-year-old New Zealand lawmaker, Chlöe Swarbrick used the phrase to dismiss an older member of parliament while she addressed the room about the Zero Carbon Bill.
Now, it seems that the world’s corporations are in a bidding war to trademark the viral sensation – how ‘Boomer’ of them. On Monday, it was announced that Fox Media LLC filed a trademark application fro “OK, Boomer”, with plans to use it in a television series or game show. Washington, D.C. trademark lawyer and founder of Gerben Law Firm, Josh Gerben, shared the news on Twitter this week – the application was filed on November 11.
FOX has filed a trademark application for "OK BOOMER."
The media giant filed the application on November 11th.
According to the filing, FOX intends to launch a reality, comedy and/or game show called OK BOOMER.
My full breakdown 👇#OkBoomer#FoxNews pic.twitter.com/tmEDHC3QgM
— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) November 18, 2019
However, Fox isn’t the only company to apply for the trademarked term. On October 31, New York-based Kevin Yen reportedly filed an application for a clothing label while a Pittsburgh-based company also filed to use on stickers and decals. Producer, William Grundfest filed a trademark in his name personally for a stage play.
Speaking to CNN, Gerben said, “In all likelihood, the USPTO will deny all of these applications because OK BOOMER has become a ‘widely used message,’” Gerben said. “A trademark registration will not issue in a phrase that is commonly used to convey a social or political message. This is because such a ‘viral’ phrase is incapable of identifying the source of a product or service — which is what trademarks must do to be capable of registration.”
Nevertheless, stay tuned for any further developments.
Cover image: Subversive Cross Stitch
