Every year on November 1st, Mariah Carey celebrates Christmas, one of the greatest holiday traditions of modern times. Good news and cheers are everywhere, through television specials, parade performances and now even a children's book. Arguably, no one is more qualified to claim the title "Queen of Christmas" than she is - but that still doesn't mean she can trademark it.
According to the BBC, on November 15, the US Patent and Trademark Office rejected the application she filed through her company Lotion LLC. According to the NME, the March 2021 submission aims to secure the exclusive use of multiple Christmas terms. In addition to the "Christmas Queen," she also hopes to target "QOC," "Christmas Princess," and "Christmas Princess," and potentially use them for audio and video recordings, perfume, Christmas tree decorations, and more. However, when the public was given the chance to object to the application and other Christmas queens weighed in, Kelly ran into a problem.
Variety reported that Christmas singer-songwriter Elizabeth Chan formally filed a statement of objection through her attorney in August. As the "Queen of Christmas" (thanks to The New Yorker for describing her as such in 2018, plus her dozen albums), she believes no one should have the right to use the term. "Christmas is for everyone," she told the outlet at the time. "It's meant to be shared; it's not meant to be owned."
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Grammy winner Darlene Love, another singer known as the Queen of Christmas, has not taken legal action, but she also spoke out against Carey's trademark bid in August. “Twenty-nine years ago, David Letterman officially declared me the Queen of Christmas, and a year after she released All I Want For Christmas Is You, At 81 years old, I wouldn’t change a thing,” she wrote in a Facebook post. . After announcing her rejection on Nov. 15, Love celebrated in another post, writing, "Thank you, Lord!! Congratulations to all the other Christmas Queens around the world, living and deceased!"
Likewise, Chen appeared on "Good Morning America" on Nov. 19 and said she was "pleased" with the decision. She again explained her position that it was incorrect to give someone the power to sue someone else for using the label. "The term 'Queen of Christmas' ... has been around for decades before I was even born," she said. She noted that making the game free for anyone to use means that many Christmas queens can usher in the holidays each year, adding, "It takes more than just one."
As for Kylie, trademarked or not, she remains the Queen of Christmas for many. After her application was rejected, some of her fans took to Twitter to express their support, making it clear that formal approval of the application by the USPTO was not required. "Did you know that Twitter may be closed forever, but Mariah Carey will always be the Queen of Christmas," one person wrote. Another also called her by that title, then added, "She's a blueprint. She's an icon. She's a songwriter, singer, and performer. Most importantly, she's a legend, and to this day Still with us. Respect her!”
Kylie's Christmas wishes may be a trademark, but she makes the season merry and bright no matter what.
