Cardi B is not going to get a tradmark on her signature catchprase, okurrr? That is the judgement handed down by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in May after the rapper applied for a trademark on the R-rolling "Okurrr" back in March. Filed on March 12 of this year, the application by Washpoppin, Inc. -- Cardi's New York-based cosmetics company -- was to cover "clothing, namely, T-shirts, sweatshirts, hooded sweatshirts, pants, shorts, jackets, footwear, headgear, namely hats and caps, blouses, bodysuits, dresses, jumpsuits, leggings, shirts, sweaters, undergarments" using both 3 R and 2 R versions of the phrase, according to the trademark/service mark application.
In a document sent to Cardi's team on May 7 refusing the application, the USPTO wrote: "Registration is refused because the applied-for mark is a slogan or term that does not function as a trademark or service mark to indicate the source of applicant’s goods and/or services and to identify and distinguish them from others... In this case, the applied-for mark is a commonplace term, message, or expression widely used by a variety of sources that merely conveys an ordinary, familiar, well-recognized concept or sentiment," citing several precendents, including one in which Volvo attempted to trademark the widely used phrase "drive safely" and Remington tried the same for electric razors with "proudly made in the USA."