First came the “OK Boomer” memes on social media. Then came the T-shirts, phone cases and other merchandise emblazoned with the viral retort. Now, get ready for an all-out war at the United States Patent and Trademark Office and a possible television series using the phrase.
On Nov. 11, Fox Media filed a trademark application for a TV show called “OK Boomer,” one among a handful of applicants hoping to secure rights to the phrase hurled by Generation Z and millennials to older people who don’t understand their positions on various issues and anyone issuing condescending remarks.
At least five current trademark applications are pending for the phrase, according to the federal office’s online database. Fox Media said in its application that it wanted to use it for an “ongoing television series featuring reality competition, comedy and game shows.”
In light of the phrase’s popularity, it’s not likely that any of the applications will be approved, said Josh Gerben, a trademark lawyer and founder of Gerben Law Firm,
Attempts to trademark popular cultural phrases are not new.
Earlier this year, Cardi B filed an application to trademark the catchphrase “Okurrr” to use on clothing and paper goods. It was denied over the summer, according to CNN.
LeBron James met the same fate when he tried to trademark “Taco Tuesday.” In its rejection in September, the office said the phrase was “a commonplace term, message or expression” that is widely used.
