Patent and Trademark Office Sides with Beyonce, Jay-Z

If you're thinking you might be able to capitalize financially on the birth of Beyonce and Jay-Z's baby daughter, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has a message for you: Back off.

The Smoking Gun reports that a New York City clothing designer, Joseph Mbeh, tried to obtain a trademark for "Blue Ivy Carter NYC" for use on baby and toddler clothing. Not at all coincidentally, Blue Ivy Carter is the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's newborn daughter.

A PTO attorney looked askance at the trademark request, noting that little Blue Ivy is a "famous infant," and that consumers would likely conclude that a clothing line in her name was somehow connected to her even more famous parents. Mbeh then thought better of the idea, and withdrew his application.

Apparently, though, PTO attorneys can expect to continue to have to deal with such efforts. Another New York firm already has tried to trademark "Blue Ivy Carter Glory IV" for use on such products as fragrances and body glitter. Good luck with that.