Beyonce has big plans for Blue Ivy Carter and she wants a judge to approve what has become an ongoing battle to trademark her name. According to The Blast, Beyonce referred to her 7-year-old daughter as a “cultural icon,” in newly filed legal documents.
The “Spirit” singer has been trying to secure the trademark since 2012, but ran into trouble due to Veronica Morales, owner of a wedding planning company, Blue Ivy Events. Morales opposed the filing on grounds that she has been doing business under the name since before Blue was born.
Morales claims that the Carters don’t want to use the trademark for business purposes, per a Vanity Fair interview where Jay Z said the trademark was to stop others from profiting off of their daughter’s name.
In 2017, Beyonce filed to trademark Blue Ivy Carter (instead of “Blue Ivy”) in order to launch a line of haircare products, clothing and more. The latest legal filing states that “Blue Ivy Carter’s fame, her interest in fashion and design, and her familial relationship with two of the most famous performers in the world all support BGK’s [Beyonce Gizelle Knowle’s] intent to use the BLUE IVY CATER trademark in connection with building a brand consistent with Blue Ivy Carter’s interests and skills.
“Blue Ivy Carter is a cultural icon who has been described as a ‘mini style star’ and has been celebrated for her ‘fashion moments’ overs the years,” the documents continues. “Her life and activities are followed extensively by the media and the public.”
The filing goes on to note that Blue Ivy “has achieved a significant amount of fame, particularly at such a young age. She also has a noted and well-chronicled interest in fashion. Given these factors, Blue Ivy Carter is capable of and interested in becoming the face of a brand. For this reason, the factual context demonstrates that BGK filed the Application with the intent to build a brand around Blue Ivy Carter and her public reputation and renown.”
The documents add that, “the presence of the word ‘CARTER’ ties the commercial impression of BGK’s [Beyonce Gizelle Knowles’] Mark to the celebrity Blue Ivy Carter rather than Opposer’s regional event planning business.”
Both parties have thrown allegations at each other. Morales previously accused Beyonce of fraud, while the mother of three accuses Morales of harassment and attempting to profit off of Blue’s fame by doing interviews after her daughter’s birth, and holding a sale on her birthday. She goes on to argue that Morales tried to force her to turn over personal information, including private messages, and points out that consumers are not likely to confuse a “boutique event planning business” with “the daughter of two of the most famous performers in the world.”
The trademark case is expected to go to trial.