Donald Trump has been a famous person and Trump a famous brand for decades. Ivanka Trump is now one of the most famous women in the world who has carefully crafted her image since she first entered The Spotlight and her father's show The Apprentice. Her fashion line uses her surname, and sales of the Ivanka Trump line have skyrocketed, despite calls for Boycott's and some stores dropping the line. Now, Ivanka wants to stand alone. At least she wants her
first name to stand alone. Her brand has moved to register a trademark for her first name, Ivanka on various fashion items. After all, isn't Ivanka now known by her first name like Beyonce or Madonna. The writers of a sketch on Saturday Night Live last month poking fun at her thoughts, So every man knows her name, every woman knows her face. When she walks into a room, all eyes are on her. She's Ivanka. That was a sketch Ivanka Trump did not like very much. Our guest today
is Donna Tobin. She's co chair of the trademark and brand management group at Frankfurt Current Klein and Seltz. Donna, what stage is Ivanka's application to trademark her first name at Uh. Well, she that particular application UM, as you said is it's an intend to use applications, so it will be reviewed by the trademark office. When she uses it for the goods UM for which she registered, it will be allowed. UM. But a little background on the
Trump and Ivanka's trademark history is interesting. UH. This is not the first time that Ivanka or someone on her behalf has actually tried to protect her name. UM. The marketing potential. Ivanka's first name was apparently first realized early on by her mom, Ivana, and some of the earliest attempts to register Ivanna's name Ivanka's name involved only her first name. Her mom, Ivana, filed an application when Ivanka was only a teenager. Uh, and that was Ivanka for Cosmetics.
It was actually allowed by the Trademark office but never issued UM, likely because it was never actually used. As we talked about a second ago, UM, you have to actually use a trademark. You can file before you use it, but you need to use it and improve you've used it in the US before you get the registration. A u S registration for the single name Ivanka for Cosmetics was also granted to her mother in two thousand two. Um,
so this is not a new thing. Ivanka herself got a registration for her own first name for handbags, although at that point in time she probably did realize the value of the Trump name alone with her name Ivanka Trump. Um, she's called that Trump name her birthright. So most of her efforts, um were to register Ivanka Trump. But like I said, early on, that name was um the subject of trademark applications in the trademark office. Donna, how easy
is it to trademark just a first name? I mean you think about all the entertainers we know just by their first name, you know, Prince Madonna Adele. Uh. Do most of those people, for example, have trademarks on their first name. Um? Yes, I mean again, keeping in mind that trademarks have to be registered or used in connection with goods. So if you're just a famous person, um, let's say a singer, or you know, someone who's not really monetizing for goods like hand biggs or clothing, Um,
you can't file a registration just for yourself. You have to tie it to goods or services or something that you are offering in connection with those goods. So someone who doesn't do that could still stop others from trying to create a false association. UM. You know Beyonce for example, there aren't many other Beyonce's out there, so everyone recognizes her. And if someone tried to register Beyonce for something that she didn't even think of registering, they could think she
could still stop them. I mean, UM, that would be a false association. So yes, if a celebrity or someone knows the famous first name is thinking and wants to market themselves with products and services, they can expand that reach to goods. UM, and the Trumps certainly know about marketing.
Let's talk though, about something which seems a little bit further out than trademarking Ivanka, and that is that she wants to trademark women who Work, which is the title of her next book and a personal life dial initiative. How difficult would that be? Again, the Trademark office UM is guided by the trademark laws, so there's lots of different UH hurdles. For example, UM women who work would be determined to be descriptive for a group of women
who are working. UM. You can see where UM working women a group of working women wouldn't be able to stop people. But you know, she UM. She has actually tried to register it for particular services, and in fact she owns a registration for hashtag women who work for journals, social networking blogs UM not the sort of things, so she's been able to register that for those services. She's also registered it um without the hashtag for online social
networking services during those blogs videos. In the field of fashion, it certainly seems very generic, but I guess until someone challenges it. Thanks so much for being on the show. We appreciate it. That's Donna Tobin, co chair of the trademark and brand management group at Frankfurt Current Klein and Sells