Cardi B has been at the receiving end of yet another legal setback, one concerning monetary gain this time around.
The 26-year-old rapper had filed a request with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark her phrase ‘Okurrr’ back in March, only to be denied by the authority more than three months onward.
Citing standard procedure policy, the USPTO was reported to have stated that the phrase was too ‘commonplace’ to be trademarked by a single individual with the motive of monetary benefit, given its widespread cultural import. This stems from the fact that the Kardashian-Jenner sisters, most notably Khloe, have previously used the phrase on multiple occasions, with Cardi B even admitting in a recent interview that she’d been inspired by her usage of it.
Furthermore, the phrase actually originated almost a decade back on YouTube, with actress Laura Bell Bundy deploying it as part of her impersonations in a number of sketch comedy videos and different skits. Later, television personality RuPaul also adopted the phrase for his Primetime Emmy Award-winning show The Drag Race, subsequent to Bundy having popularized it.
Of course, there is no shortage of evidence to prove that the USPTO’s reasoning is quite sound, although fans of the rapper have indeed voiced their displeasure over the denial of the trademark given that a successful filing for the phrase would’ve resulted in significant financial incentive for her.
Cardi B has made ‘Okurrr’ her own during her meteoric rise since 2017, and holding legal rights over the phrase would’ve breathed new life into her long-stalled efforts to produce merchandise featuring it.
The rapper has since sought to challenge the ruling, though, with little to contradict the USPTO’s judgment; Cardi B can expect little to be different this time around.