As soon as the first snowflake of the year hits the ground, most people immediately picture one particular pop star: Mariah Carey. While the singer is known to her fans as the Queen of Christmas, a court has just rejected her proposal for a trademark that would make that title official.
Why Carey Wants The ‘Queen of Christmas’ Crown
Carey’s biggest song is the holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas is You.” The track has sold over 16 million copies worldwide, is certified Diamond by the RIAA (the only holiday song to hold this honor), and has made Carey a reported $60 million in royalties.
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Christmas has become synonymous with Carey, and the pop star wanted to make it official: Last year, Carey filed a trademark application for the phrase “Queen of Christmas.” She also attempted to trademark the abbreviation “QOC,” as well as “Princess Christmas.”
Her Trademark Application Has Been Rejected
The application has been officially rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. One of the reasons Carey was denied the title? She nor her company—through which she filed the application—did not respond to opposition from another singer.
Elizabeth Chan, who was given the “Queen of Christmas” title by The New Yorker in 2018, puts out holiday albums every year. She challenged Carey’s application and blasted the pop star for trying to “monopolize” Christmas.
“That’s just not the right thing to do,” Chan told Variety. “Christmas is for everyone. It’s meant to be shared; it’s not meant to be owned.”
Since Carey and her team did not respond to Chan’s challenge in time, the “Queen of Christmas” title is still free to be used by anyone.
Darlene Love Says She Has ‘Earned’ The Title
Chan isn’t the only singer who has criticized Carey’s quest to be crowned the Queen of Christmas. Darlene Love, most famous for her holiday hit “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” has also been dubbed the “Queen of Christmas.”
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In a Facebook post, she wrote, “David Letterman officially declared me the Queen of Christmas 29 years ago, a year before [Carey] released ‘All I want For Christmas Is You’ and at 81 years of age I’m NOT changing anything. I’ve been in the business for 52 years, have earned it and can still hit those notes! If Mariah has a problem call David or my lawyer!!”
Carey might not officially own the “Queen of Christmas” title, but there are plenty of people around the world who think of her first when it’s time to start celebrating the holidays.