American music icon, Beyoncé has triumphed in a 12-year legal battle to secure the trademark for her daughter’s name, Blue Ivy.
This landmark ruling grants Beyoncé exclusive rights to the name Blue Ivy, a legal pursuit she initiated shortly after her daughter’s birth in 2012.
The decision, officially published in the Trademark Official Gazette, saw the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rule in Beyoncé’s favour on December 31, 2024.
Veronica Morales, a wedding planner who had been operating her business under the name Blue Ivy Events since 2009, initially objected to the legal battle.
The high-profile dispute attracted widespread attention over the years. Veronica Morales argued that her company, “Blue Ivy Events,” had been operating under the name long before Beyoncé filed for the trademark through BGK Trademark Holdings LLC.
In 2020, the USPTO dismissed Morales’ objections, ruling that her event-planning business and Beyoncé’s intended trademark usage were not similar enough to cause consumer confusion.
Despite this favourable ruling, the trademark application was abandoned that same year. Beyoncé reignited her efforts in November 2023 but faced new opposition from a boutique in Wisconsin that also claimed rights to the “Blue Ivy” brand.
The USPTO examiner recently determined that the boutique’s claim lacked sufficient grounds to block Beyoncé’s filing. According to legal documents, any opposition to the trademark must be filed within 30 days of publication. If no objections arise by January 30, 2025, Beyoncé’s team will receive a Notice of Allowance, officially finalizing her trademark rights.
“Within 30 days of the publication date, any party who believes it will be damaged by the registration of the mark may file a notice of opposition (or extension of time) with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board,” the document stated.
This victory marks the culmination of Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s decade-long efforts to protect their daughter’s name from commercial exploitation.
In a 2013 interview with Vanity Fair, Jay-Z explained their decision, stating, “People wanted to make products based on our child’s name, and you don’t want anybody trying to benefit off your baby’s name. It wasn’t for us to do anything; as you see, we haven’t done anything.”
Read Also: Toke Makinwa reflects on Hollywood setback as she celebrates her 5th movie milestone