Fox has filed a trademark application for a TV show called ‘OK boomer”
OK, boomer. Ready for a trademark application war?
The popular phrase, which has mostly been used by teens and millennials to make fun of older people for being out of touch, has taken on a life of its own.
Most notably, 25-year-old New Zealand lawmaker Chlöe Swarbrick used the phrase to dismiss an older member of parliament for heckling her while she spoke about the country’s Zero Carbon Bill.
Its growing popularity has led to a number of trademark applications that have been filed for its use — two of which are for TV shows.
The most notable application comes from Fox, which was discovered by trademark attorney Joshua Gerben. Fox filed the application on November 11.
The attorney for Fox has signed a sworn intent that the company has a “bona fide intent” to launch a TV series called “OK BOOMER,” and Gerben says that it could be “a reality, comedy and/or game show.”
“It would seem unlikely that a company of this size would file such an application unless a show was being considered,” Gerben tells CNN.
However, Fox is not the only one to file a trademark for the phrase.
On October 31, a man named Kevin Yen based out of New York filed an application for a brand of clothing.
The day after Fox filed its application, a Pittsburgh-based company filed for a brand of stickers and decals.
The day after that, producer William Grundfest filed a trademark in his name personally for a TV show. Grundfest’s trademark was for a series of live stage performances about “generational differences.”
“In all likelihood, the USPTO will deny all of these applications because OK BOOMER has become a ‘widely used message,'” Gerben said. “A trademark registration will not issue in a phrase that is commonly used to convey a social or political message. This is because such a ‘viral’ phrase is incapable of identifying the source of a product or service — which is what trademarks must do to be capable of registration.”
Fox did not immediately respond to a request from CNN.
