What to Know
BookTok is a beautiful place for those of us who love to read and discuss books with other likeminded people. The renaissance of reading as a hobby (especially when it comes to fantasy and romance novels) has created a great online community… until this drama had everyone up in arms over the past week or so. One creator tried to trademark the phrase “hot girls read,” and let’s just say it did not go the way she thought it would go.
A creator named Allie Rose was behind the trademark.
In a since-deleted post on Instagram, Allie Rose (who has over 62,000 followers on the platform and more than 235,000 on TikTok) revealed that she had trademarked the phrase “hot girls read” for use on bookmarks, stickers, notebooks, notepads, sweatshirts and t-shirts, which she planned to sell through her small online shop. Screenshots that have been shared on social media also show that Allie began messaging others who sell products with the phrase on it, asking them to take those products down.
Her trademark went viral for all the wrong reasons — namely, outrage.
@thefangirlnation_ ‘FINALLY started to love to read?!’ We’ve been loving reading!!! (As of today she has removed the TM listing) listen on The Fangirl Nation Podcast ✨ #booktok #hotgirlsread ♬ original sound – thefangirlnation
As Forbes reported, plenty of people were pissed about the trademark. Some because they believed she was appropriating a phrase that had actually been started by Megan Thee Stallion, a Black woman, while Allie Rose is white. Others felt that “hot girls read” was such a general phrase embraced by so many people that the idea of trademarking it was ridiculous — and a shameless grab for money.
TikTok has quickly become flooded with people reacting to the trademark, and Allie Rose is getting dragged big time. People are even angrier after finding out that reading has only been a recent hobby of hers that she’s now trying to capitalize on.
Basically, it’s been a huge mess.
She has since announced that she’s abandoning the trademark.
@allieroseco An update on the hot girls read trademark
♬ original sound – ALLIE ROSE CO
After all of this drama played out, Allie Rose returned to TikTok with a video explaining that she had decided to abandon the trademark.
“The decision was made more as like a business strategy decision than a human being decision and I take full accountability for that,” she said. “That was entirely wrong on my end. I hear you and I take that on the chin 100 percent.”
Unfortunately, it seems like it’s too little, too late for those who have been following along with the saga. One person on Reddit wrote, “She absolutely just tanked her livelihood,” which seems to be the general sentiment most people have about this whole thing.
Maybe this was a very hard business lesson learned? Just because you can trademark something doesn’t mean you should.
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