Hot Girl Summer is Here - Megan Thee's Record Label Files Five Applications to Register HOT GIRL SUMMER as a Trademark

It's been dubbed the "catchphrase of summer 2019" and now it's the subject of five federal trademark applications. Rapper Megan Thee reportedly coined the term HOT GIRL SUMMER earlier this year, which she says means "“It’s just basically about women — and men — just being unapologetically them, just having a good-ass time, hyping up your friends, doing you, not giving a damn about what nobody got to say about it." With the phrase taking off, it appears Thee's record company is now taking steps to protect it through federal trademark registrations with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

On July 21, Theory Entertainment, LLC (the legal entity that owns the 300 Entertainment logo trademark registration, which is Thee's record label) filed five trademark applications for HOT GIRL SUMMER, each in a different class (hence the five applications), covering:

• Entertainment in the nature of live performances by a musical artist or entertainer; entertainment in the nature of visual and audio performances by a musical artist or entertainer; and various related services (Class 41);
• Streaming of music, audio material, images, video material and other multimedia content over the internet, wireless networks and other computer networks and electronic communications networks; electronic transmission of streamed and downloadable music, audio, video and other multimedia content for others; broadcasting and electronic transmission of streamed and downloadable digital music, audio, video and multimedia content for others (Class 38);
• A wide variety of clothing items (Class 25);
• Various novelty items like posters, calendars, temporary tattoos, postcards, and scrapbooks (Class 16); and
• Musical sound recordings, downloadable video recordings featuring music, electronic games via the internet, and various related goods (Class 9).

The applications were filed on an intent-to-use basis, which means the record label must actually use the phrase as a trademark for the listed goods and services before these applications can mature into registrations. See TMEP 1101 et. seq.

On that same day, Theory Entertainment filed trademark applications for REAL HOT GIRL SHIT, COGNAC QUEEN, and TINA SNOW, all covering the same goods and services. Back in April 2019, the label filed similar applications for HOT GIRL MEG and MEGAN THEE STALLION.

A few days ago, Billboard.com incorrectly reported that Thee filed a trademark application for HOT GIRL SUMMER on July 10. While an application to register HOT GIRL SUMMER as a trademark for clothing was filed on July 10, it was not filed Thee or her label, but rather by an individual in D.C. who appears to have no relation to the rapper. Procedurally, because that application was filed before Thee's applications, it will be a barrier to Thee's registration of the same mark, but Thee has several options for getting over that barrier, both inside and outside the USPTO (a cease and desist letter, obtaining an assignment of the mark, opposing the application, etc.).