In March 2021, the 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' hitmaker faced backlash after she attempted to trademark the phrase via her company, called Lotion LLC.
- Nov 16, 2022
AceShowbiz - Mariah Carey can't keep the "Queen of Christmas" title exclusively for herself. It has been revealed that the "All I Need for Christmas Is You" singer has lost the bid to trademark the "Queen of Christmas" phrase in a legal battle.
On Tuesday, November 15, the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board denied the pop star's attempt to trademark the name. It additionally ruled that the 52-year-old star can't lock down the titles "Princess of Christmas" or "QOC" either.
It means another singer, including Elizabeth Chan, can use the title. Elizabeth, who claims that she's "the world's only full-time pop Christmas recording artist," has put out 12 albums of Christmas music to date. She also refers to her 5-year-old daughter and sometimes collaborator Noelle as "Princess of Christmas."
Following the ruling, Elizabeth's attorney Louis Tompros of WilmerHale said in a statement, "This was a classic case of trademark bullying. We are pleased with the victory, and delighted that we were able to help Elizabeth fight back against Carey's overreaching trademark registrations."
Elizabeth, meanwhile, noted, "Christmas is a season of giving, not the season of taking, and it is wrong for an individual to attempt to own and monopolize a nickname like Queen of Christmas for the purposes of abject materialism."
"As an independent artist and small business owner, my life's work is to bring people together for the holiday season, which is how I came to be called the Queen of Christmas," she continued. "I wear that title as a badge of honor and with full knowledge that it will be - and should be - bestowed on others in the future. My goal in taking on this fight was to stand up to trademark bullying not just to protect myself, but also to protect future Queens of Christmas."
Speaking through tears after the victory, Elizabeth added to Page Six, "I did this to protect and save Christmas. Christmas isn't about one single person - it's about everybody." She continued, "I've dedicated my life to this understanding of how special Christmas is," adding that "it was difficult to be the one to stand up" against the "Hero" hitmaker in the name of holiday.
In March 2021, Mariah attempted to trademark the Queen of Christmas title via her company, called Lotion LLC. She hoped to use it on a line of merchandise that would include albums, fragrances, pet accessories, sunglasses and more. She faced pushback from singers over her move with Elizabeth filing an opposition in the case. Other singers such as "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" crooner Darlene Love also criticized Mariah.
