After Government Smackdown, Clothing Designer Abandons Effort To Trademark Blue Ivy Carter’s Name

A New York City clothing designer has withdrawn his application to trademark the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z’s newborn daughter after a government lawyer gave a preliminary thumbs down to his bid.

United States Patent and Trademark Office records show that Joseph Mbeh this week abandoned his effort to secure a mark for “Blue Ivy Carter NYC.” As TSG reported earlier this month, Mbeh, 35, applied to place the child’s name on “infant, toddler and junior clothing” including dresses, skirts, and undergarments.

Mbeh abandoned his bid immediately after a USPTO attorney cited several reasons for refusing to register the trademark. The lawyer noted that Blue Ivy Carter, now three weeks old, is a “famous infant” and that consumers would incorrectly conclude that a line of apparel bearing the baby’s name “is connected with the child though through the control of her parents.”

Mbeh’s trademark application was done without the consent of Beyonce and Jay-Z.

While Mbeh’s application is dead, a second “Blue Ivy” trademark application remains pending. A Queens-based clothing firm last week filed to trademark “Blue Ivy Carter Glory IV” for use on fragrances, skin creams, facial scrubs, and body glitter. Curiously, the company claims to somehow have been using the phrase “in commerce” since February 2011.