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Kanye West seemingly wants to trademark the term 'YEWS' for use in gambling, finance, restaurants, and more

Oct 7, 2023, 18:20 IST
Business Insider
The rapper Kanye West, or Ye, Edward Berthelot / Getty
  • Kanye West's law firm filed 26 requests with a Californian court to trademark the term "YEWS."
  • The applicant is seeking exclusive rights to the term in sectors like finance and fashion.
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Kanye West, now known as Ye, is seemingly trying to secure trademark rights for the use of the term "YEWS" across a range of sectors.

Twenty-six filings were made in California on October 2 to the US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to trademark the term.

Though Ye is not directly named, the court documents list the company Ox Paha Inc., which shares the same address as the rapper's LA office, as the applicant.

The attorney that made the filings is also from the law firm Weeks Nelson, the company that Ye hired after his previous legal team dropped him in response to his antisemitic remarks.

According to the documents, shared in full by Gerben Law, Ye is seeking exclusive rights to the "YEWS" trademark for use on everything from clothing to restaurants and gambling.

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It is not yet clear how he intends to use the phrase should the filings be approved.

Given Ye's history of antisemitic comments, the combination of his name and the word "Jews" will likely stir up controversy.

In late 2022, Ye consistently grabbed headlines for antisemitic tirades and posts that caused him to be blocked from his social media accounts and lose major partnerships with firms such as Adidas and Balenciaga.

Kanye West claimed he lost $2 billion in one day after major companies cut ties with him following his offensive behavior. Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images

In one now-removed post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said that he was "going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."

He also repeatedly praised Adolf Hitler during an interview on the hard-right "Infowars" show.

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"Well, I see good things about Hitler," he said.

"I like Hitler," he added.

Though Ye has been less outspoken in 2023, he faced fresh allegations of antisemitism from his former business partner, Alex Klein, this summer.

In a BBC documentary, Klein said the rapper told him "I feel like I wanna smack you," and "you're exactly like the other Jews."

As a result of a 2017 Supreme Court decision, a trademark law barring offensive terms was deemed to infringe free speech rights and disparaging terms were therefore ruled to be legal.

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The Attorney at Weeks Nelson who submitted the filings did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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