When brand protection backfires

Tiffany Woelfel

Guest Columnist

July 13, 2026

Efforts to protect a brand can sometimes create unexpected business risks, particularly when legal strategy clashes with public perception.

That dynamic was on full display when Allie Rose Co. announced she had secured a federal trademark for the phrase “Hot Girls Read.”

The reaction was swift and overwhelmingly negative.

What she intended as a protective business move instead triggered widespread backlash, raising questions not only about the strength of her trademark but also about the reputational cost of pursuing it.

How a trademark strategy sparked backlash 

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Allie Rose LLC sought to trademark the phrase “without claim to any particular font style, size, or color” – i.e., without any specific stylization.

This is different from instances where a common phrase is trademarked because of the specific font and style used.

For example, Taylor Swift has frequently registered “TS” in fonts that correspond to those used for her albums.

This does not mean that every instance of “TS” is trademarked, but only those that use the specific stylization.

In announcing that registration, Allie Rose Co. explained that she got the mark in the categories of bookmarks, stickers, book covers, notepads, notebooks, sweatshirts and T-shirts.

She then asked that if any other social media site or business was using the phrase “Hot Girls Read” for any of these products, they remove those listings. 

The negative response was swift and fierce.

BookTok, Bookstagram and the broader online book community reacted with frustration, arguing that “Hot Girls Read” is a widely used, community‑driven phrase rather than a brand identifier.

A quick search on Instagram, TikTok, or Etsy shows numerous posts and countless products (including products in the categories she registered her mark in) using the phrase.

Allie Rose Co. is facing even more posts and stories explicitly criticizing her for seeking to register this phrase. 

Facing the overwhelmingly negative response, Allie Rose Co. claimed that she was encouraged to file the trademark in 2023 when her bookmarks and apparel became popular.

She then stated, “At that time, I didn’t see anyone with apparel or bookmarks that said ‘hot girls read,’ although I’m not at all denying that they existed.”

She then asserted, “I haven’t come after any small businesses/bookstores that sell products saying ‘HGR’” and claimed she didn’t intend to do so.

Within a week, not only had some filed a petition to cancel the trademark, but Allie Rose Co. also announced the company was abandoning the trademark and the registration would be canceled.

Trademark lessons every business should know

What may have started out as a well-intentioned attempt to protect her business has instead created significant reputational harm for Allie Rose Co.

Not only has her brand been damaged, but the media attention exposed vulnerabilities in the trademark itself.

Now that the trademark registration has been abandoned, the time, money and extreme public scrutiny were incurred for virtually no benefit.

Allie Rose Co.’s mistake, however, teaches a number of lessons about trademark strategy.

Choose trademarks that clearly identify your brand

A trademark is meant to be a “source identifier” or a “word, symbol, design or a combination of these things that identifies your goods or sources.”

The best trademarks are ones that identify you and make people think of you and your business.

If Allie Rose Co. had sought to register a specific stylized version of “Hot Girls Read” that is associated with her merchandise, the mark may be stronger.

Beyond that, Allie Rose Co. may have faced less outrage than it did for registering a mark that the book community doesn’t attribute to the company.

Conduct a comprehensive trademark search before filing 

Before seeking to register a trademark, a comprehensive trademark search should be conducted.

A comprehensive search goes beyond just determining whether the mark has already been registered.

It requires a search to see if the mark is in use broadly, including online marketplaces, social media and the internet in general.

It does not appear that step was taken for “Hot Girls Summer,” as Allie Rose Co. implicitly acknowledged when asserting she was “not at all denying” that the mark could have been in use when she started the registration process.

Bonus lesson

Comprehensive searches are valuable before launching a new product or naming a new business.

They can help ensure the ability to seek trademark protection later, prevent you from launching a product with a name that could infringe on another’s mark and you can even file an intent-to-use application, seeking trademark protection before the product is launched, as many major artists and brands do.

Prior use can limit the value of a trademark

Even if a trademark is granted, prior users of the mark – in this case, of the phrase “Hot Girls Read” – may still have the right to continue using it, because prior use is a defense to infringement.

If there are numerous other creators with prior use, they may be able to continue to do so, which limits the practical value of the mark.

Weak trademarks are vulnerable to cancellation 

A trademark registration is not permanent or untouchable.

An individual harmed by the trademark may be able to petition to cancel the trademark.

If a mark is cancelled, then all the time, effort and money that has been poured into securing the trademark will have been for nothing.

Within a week, there was at least one petition to cancel the “Hot Girls Read” trademark.

Trademarks require active enforcement

Trademark owners must enforce their marks or risk the mark becoming generic or diluted, i.e., no longer a source identifier.

If Allie Rose Co. does not enforce her mark against the small business or bookstores using her mark (like she claims), then she risks the mark being diluted by that use and becoming generic.

Legal strategy doesn’t always mean smart business strategy

The biggest takeaway is that legal rights and business strategy are not always aligned.

In a statement regarding the decision to abandon the trademark, Allie Rose Co. addressed the concerns about the harm caused to the community by failing to register the trademark and steps the company was taking to remediate that harm.

In the end, by asserting legal rights, Allie Rose Co. instead caused significant harm to the business.

Balancing brand protection with business reality

Trademarks can be powerful tools for building and protecting a brand, but they need to be chosen and executed strategically.

The “Hot Girls Read” controversy underscores the importance of thoughtful planning, comprehensive searching and deliberate considerations of the legal and practical consequences of seeking registration.