REVEALED: Kanye West can't sell 'White Lives Matter' apparel because the trademark is owned by two black activists who want to prevent anyone from 'profiting off the pain' of phrase

Daily Mail ^ | November 2, 2022 | Keith Griffith

[Gay State Conservative]

Melanin impaired lives matter!

[sit-rep]

Just go with White Life Matters... Simple enough...

[Yardstick]

Of course they don’t. The left hates MLK’s emphasis on character. That’s why it’s the perfect message to torment them with. That and the fact that it’s true.

[zeugma]

Hmm. Isn’t that “cybersquatting”, to a degree?

Yes, and you can't do it with trademarks. It's "use 'em or lose 'em."

[zeugma]

"NO LIVES MATTER™ LOL. Excellent Laz.

[zeugma]

[Olog-hai]

Apparently there is trademark squatting, defined as registering a trademark without the intent to use it or prevent others from using it.

[MHGinTN]

Simple language solution: White Lives Too matter, or White Lives Do Matter too

[Angelino97]

You can't copyright a simple phrase or word. You can't copyright a short phrase or instruction that can't be expressed in other ways, thus prohibiting someone from expressing the same idea.

But you can trademark a phrase. Coca-Cola (I think it was them) trademarked "Ah-ha!" or something like it, because they used it on their bottles. It doesn't mean no one can say or write it. It only means no competing soft drink company can use it on their bottles.

Trademarking a political statement, or any statement, is harder to TM, because it runs afoul of the First Amendment. I don't think you can use copyright or trademark to hinder speech. Copyright has a Fair Use exception, and trademarks simply wouldn't be protected to hinder an expression.