Kanye West has expressed heavy interest in obtaining trademarks over the past few years, for words and image marks alike. Example of these Trademarks is Yeezus, Donda Yeezy Sound and many more. He is looking to apply for a new word mark ‘Sunday Service’. It was filed under the company Mascotte Holdings. This is the company that filed for all of his previous trademarks.
A trademark is a symbol, word, or both which represents a company or product. Once registered, it allows you to protect your company or brands name or logo from trademark infringement when a company uses your logo or product name and place it on their products.
It appears that the intention is to place this word mark on all items of apparel for merchandising purposes such as clothing footwear and headwear which will probably end up being a huge fashion statement considering the marketing power that is the Kardashian family.
Why Sunday Service? It seems to be following his Gospel inspired musical event at Coachella where he sold Sunday Service Merchandise at ranging prices and his Sunday concert/church services has given him the inspiration to Trademark ‘Sunday Service’
Any distinctive and non-functional word symbol drawing or combination can be trademarked in the United States so this registration will solely depend on whether Sunday Service is Distinctive enough and whether Sunday Service is non-functional which is questionable as Sunday Service related to people going to church on a Sunday and therefore it is possible that it is functional and also lacking in distinctive character as it is a general-purpose term for going to church.
Under UK trademark Law it is likely that this term Sunday Service is devoid of distinctive character and is customary in the current language so it would be subject to the decision of the Intellectual Property Office.
It is unknown how long his religious streak is going to last but if this trademark is approved ‘Sunday Service’ would be marketed and mass-produced in typical Kanye and Kardashian style Fashion.
By Owen White Third Year Law Student at Solent University
