Songwriters hit back at Lizzo over ‘Truth Hurts’
02-03-2020
Lizzo sues over plagiarism claims; credits ‘DNA test’ tweet
24-10-2019
Ben Houdijk / Shutterstock.com
US singer Lizzo has won her fight to trademark a slogan that she was able to prove is strongly associated with her, but it was a close-won case, finds Sarah Speight.
Brassy singer Lizzo has lived up to her slogan as ‘100% THAT BITCH’ and proven that—when it comes to promoting and safeguarding her brand—persistence pays off.
The Grammy-award-winning artist first sang the line, “I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that bitch,” in her 2017 single Truth Hurts. While the line was inspired by an internet meme, it has since become a part of her brand (and she shares the credits with the originator of the phrase, Mina Lioness).
When Lizzo applied to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2019 to register ‘100% THAT BITCH’ for use on clothing and other apparel, it was refused on the basis that it failed to function as a trademark.
The rest of this article is locked for subscribers only. Please login to continue reading.
If you don't have a login, you will need to purchase a subscription to gain access to this article, including all our online content. Please use this link and follow the steps.
For multi-user price options, or to check if your company has an existing subscription to us that we can add you to for FREE, please email Atif Choudhury at achoudhury@worldipreview.com
trademarks, USPTO, TTAB, failure to function, Lizzo
