Fox tries to trademark “OK, Boomer” for a new television show
Fox has become the latest firm to attempt to trademark the phrase “OK, Boomer”, a way of mocking older generations for being out of touch.
The US network filed an application for its use for a television show on 11 November, which was shared on Twitter by American trademark attorney Joshua Gerben.
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Fox is not the only company to make such a move. A few days afterwards US writer and producer Bill Grundfest made a similar application in his own name.
In addition, a New Yorker by the name of Kevin Yen and a Pittsburgh-based company also made applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), for a clothing line and a sticker brand respectively.
Mr Gerber told CNN news that the USPTO would probably not grant any of the applications because “OK Boomer” has become such a “widely used message”.
“A trademark registration will not issue in a phrase that is commonly used to convey a social or political message,” he explained.
“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.”
The phrase shot to prominence earlier this month when a 25-year old politician from New Zealand used it to silence an older member of parliament who was heckling her as she spoke on the country’s zero carbon bill.
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Chlöe Swarbrick’s response to the man, who had taken aim at her age, was preserved for posterity and quickly went viral on Twitter:
Fox Media has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Main image credit: Getty