By: Taren Vaughan
Beyonce’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter is hands down one of the most popular celebrity babies around. And it was much expected as Beyonce’s pregnancy and birth of her baby were highly anticipated as well.
With Blue Ivy not even reaching a year old yet, people are pressed for Beyonce’ to have a second child, rumors swarming about the superstar singer being pregnant again. Jay-Z had to step in though and correct things for everyone, saying that his wife was not pregnant again regardless of what pictures claimed of her. As for Blue Ivy’s name, it is definitely a unique one and a name that Beyonce’ and Jay-Z put some thought into, the name being a very special one to them. It was so special in fact that Beyonce’ was willing to go to the extent of filing for trademark protection on it. It turns out though that Bey was not the only one who had their eye on trademarking the name as Boston event planner Veronica Alexandra beat her out for it, Boston Business Journal reports:
Veronica Alexandra, the Boston event planner who runs a firm called Blue Ivy — the same moniker as Beyonce’s baby — has won trademark protection for the name.
Since February, the Boston business woman has been battling to win the trademark with the superstar singer herself, who filed for trademark protection for the name as soon as she gave birth to her baby girl Blue Ivy, in January. Beyonce apparently wanted to use the name, in part, to launch a line of baby products.
It’s unclear whether Beyonce went on Google after the birth, but there are several businesses named Blue Ivy around the country, including Alexandra’s.
Alexandra immediately filed for trademark protection after she heard that Beyonce did. After all, she’d been using the name since she launched her company back in 2009.
IP experts at the time said that Alexandra had a good case, in part because she had being using the trademark long before Beyonce gave birth.
Now, Alexandra says she feels free to expand her business, which she says has basked in the public relations glow of Beyonce’s baby name — despite the fact that she’s actually at legal odds with with the singer.
“For me, it’s a license to finally make my money,” said Alexandra. “In so many ways I couldn’t move forward … until this was official and confirmed.”
She says that the Beyonce trademark filing actually forced her to think about what she wants for the future of her company, which right now is a small party and wedding planning firm with a handful of staffers.
“It affected my way of looking at things and it inspired me,” said Alexandra. “As a business person it’s taught me a lot too.”
Beyonce’ may have had plans to use her daughter’s name for other things. But unfortunately, she has lost her chance to do so.
Damn homie. I can see why Bey was trying to trademark, but fair is fair. This woman had a business way before Beyonce had Blue Ivy.
Really Bey? Trademark her name? Give me a break.
Beyonce wants to launch a line of baby products? She didn’t even give birth! What does she know any way with her phony a–?
And you’re so real commenting with a fake name behind a computer screen? Oh.
Thank you!
SMH at some of these comments. The bitterness is real.
Exactly. SMDH.
I think the right decision was made. I couldn’t image owning a successful business and losing the name to a celeb. That would suck. LOL.
*Imagine.
So she was trying to trademark the name to start a line of baby products? That makes her seem less shallow now. I thought it was just because. Interesting.