Singer and sometimes actress Rihanna has registered a trademark for “Robyn.” But first, she’ll have to get past DC Comics, home of Batman’s sidekick, Robin.
According to a report on Pirated Thoughts, DC Comics has filed an opposition to Rihanna’s trademark application with the United States Trademark and Patent Office that argues that “Robyn” will cause brand confusion with consumers who might assume a connection to the Batman character, Robin.
As a character, Robin has been around since 1939… which is almost as long as Batman himself. It wasn’t until 1995 that DC trademarked Robin for his own comic book series. Rihanna’s real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Essentially, Rihanna is trying to trademark her name so that she can use it as a brand for “a fashion and cosmetics empire.” The part that received unwanted attention from DC was the “Robyn” trademark application for “providing on-line non-downloadable general feature magazines.”
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Publishing an online magazine may be a little too close to DC’s own plans for Robin, if the lawyers have their way. This is actually a pretty standard trademark case, as multi-media companies vigorously defend even the slightest challenge to their intellectual property. Last year, Disney went after DJ Deadmau5 when he attempted to trademark his “mau5head” logo.
Rihanna and her legal team have 40 days to respond to DC’s challenge. And there is always the possibility that the two sides can reach an agreement before any further steps are taken. But for now, the clock is ticking for “Robyn.”
