The Super Bowl performance of Katy Perry is still in everybody’s mind. The half time performance of the pop star has had its effect on the U.S. Trademark Office. Katy Perry’s company tried to register the “Left Shark” design, but it got rejected by the office.
While Katy Perry was performing, she had two background dancers dressed as sharks. The left shark was not following the practised routine and it started a huge internet explosion with meme and hashtags. After the left shark became an internet sensation, Perry’s company tried to capitalise on it and wanted to register the design and the phrases ‘Left Shark,” “Drunk Shark,” “Right Shark” and “Basking Shark.”
David Collier, the examiner at the U.S Trademark Office wasn’t at all convinced by this attempt at register the design and the phrases associated with it. He said that the design only addresses a character. It doesn’t identify any service and neither does it distinguish the applicant from other service providers.
After application was rejected by the trademark office, a designer named Fernando Sosa tried to cash in on the phenomenon. He started selling 3D figurine of the Left Shark after the Super Bowl performance of Perry, but Perry’s lawyers promptly issued a cease and desist letter that the client has not consented to Sosa’s use of the copyrighted work.
Sosa’s attorney retorted back saying that costumes and are not copyrightable and this has led to a full frontal war on copyright issues and it seems that this Left Shark phenomenon is just not going to die.
Katy Perry is always known for her bold costumes and make up and the chipmunk cheeked singer always make a great display of outfits in her concerts. If her Prismatic Tour was a grand success, her costumes had a major role in play in it.