Carey loses trademark row to be ‘Queen of Christmas’
‘Christmas is for everyone – it is meant to be shared, it’s not meant to be owned’
ALL she wanted for Christmas was a trademark, but Mariah Carey’s effort to ring-fence the moniker “Queen of Christmas” has been denied by US bureaucrats after she was accused of “bullying”.
The singer, whose music is synonymous with the festive season, has long been known by her preferred nickname. But an attempt to make it legally hers – and therefore ripe for making money – has been halted by the US patent and trademark office after a complaint was lodged by another singer.
Carey’s hit, All I Want for Christmas is You, has charted every festive season since its original release 28 years ago and has raked in more than $72million (£60 million) in royalties.
Last year, it was streamed one billion times on Spotify alone.
It appears on the 1994 album Merry Christmas, a mix of covers and originals also featuring Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Silent Night and Jesus Born on This Day.
Lotion LLC, Ms Carey’s company, applied for the phrases “Queen of Christmas”, “Princess Christmas” and “QOC” to be trademarked last year.
But lawyers for Elizabeth Chan said it was “a classic case of trademark bullying” and a significant “overreach”.
Ms Chan had been dubbed the “Queen of Christmas” by The New Yorker in 2018, in recognition of her releasing an original festive record every year for a decade.
“I feel very strongly that no one person should hold on to anything around Christmas or monopolise it in the way that Mariah seeks to in perpetuity,” she said in an interview with Variety. “That’s just not the right thing to do. Christmas is for everyone.
“It’s meant to be shared, it’s not meant to be owned,” she added.
Lotion LLC did not respond to Ms Chan’s opposition in time so Carey’s trademark was not granted.