Mashable and Josh Gerben Discuss Why Creators Need to Protect Viral Trademarks Immediately

TikTok creator Jools Lebron recently went viral for the phrase “very demure, very mindful.” Unfortunately, before she could protect the phrase with a trademark, a squatter filed to trademark it with the USPTO.

Mashable spoke to Josh Gerben about Lebron’s trademark dispute and why it’s important to file trademarks as soon as possible.

Josh Gerben, founding partner at Gerben Perrott PLLC, said that while its unclear what is going on with Lebron’s dispute at the moment, there are several legal grounds she has to block the squatter from registering the trademark.

“That said, this is an important lesson that filing trademark applications as early as possible can avoid the potential for costly legal battles,” Gerben said.

Source: Silva, Christianna. https://www.mashable.com. “So you have a viral catchphrase. What’s next, legally?”. 28 August 2024.