Fox Wants to Trademark 'OK, Boomer'

Network wants to use it for reality, comedy, or game show
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 19, 2019 3:42 AM CST
Fox Wants to Trademark 'OK Boomer'
The Fox Studios sign is pictured at the entrance to the lot in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Some people consider it a trendy insult, other think it is an ageist slur—and Fox considers it a good name for a show. The network recently filed a trademark application for the term "OK, Boomer," a phrase used to mock baby boomers for being out of touch, AdAge reports. The filing says that Fox intends to use the increasingly popular phrase as the name of a reality, comedy, or game show. Trademark attorney Joshua Gerben, who discovered the Nov. 11 application, predicts that the application will be rejected, along with that of a man who has applied to trademark "OK, Boomer" as the name of a clothing line.

"A trademark registration will not issue in a phrase that is commonly used to convey a social or political message," Gerben tells CNN. "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." Fox has declined to comment on the filing. Two days after Fox filed the application, producer William Grundfest applied to trademark "OK, Boomer!" for stage performances and a TV show about "generational differences." (More Fox stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X