In recent years Rihanna has burst on the music scene as Jay-Z’s protégé.  She’s a multi-platinum MTV VMA, Grammy, and American Music Award winning artist, and CoverGirl spokesperson.  Since the release of her debut album, Rihanna has amassed eleven top 40 hit singles in the U.S., and has four Billboard Hot 100 songs (“Disturbia,” “Take a Bow,” “Umbrella,” and “SOS”), tying her with Mariah Carey and Beyoncé as the female solo artist with the most number one songs this decade.   She performed the opening number in last night’s VMA’s, a huge honor given that it was the 25th anniversary of the VMA’s.

As Rihanna’s career blossoms, she has also begun protecting her name as a trademark.  A search of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Website Database yields ten “hits” including:

•    RIHANNA U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 77/441,771 for use on umbrellas in Class 18 (Rihanna signed a deal with Totes for umbrellas after her hit song “Umbrella.”).
•    RIHANNA U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 78/684,841 for use on posters; calendars; temporary tattoos; stickers; decals; magazines, books and other printed materials in Class 16.
•    RIHANNA U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 78/684,830 for use on musical sound recordings; audio-visual recordings, computers, computer accessories, and interactive video game programs, among other electronic goods, in Class 9.
•    RIHANNA U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 78/684,877 for use with “Modeling agencies; modeling for advertising or sales promotion; product demonstration services in shop windows by live models; promoting the goods and services of others through issuance of product and/or service endorsements, and through appearances for product and/or service advertising; distributorships in the field of musical audio and video recordings” in Class 35 and record production; music production; audio recording and production; videotape production; motion picture song production, among other services, in Class 41.
•    RIHANNA U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 78/684,857 for use on clothing and clothing accessories in Class 25.
•    RIHANNA U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 77/482,096 for use on jewelry, watches and other goods of precious metal in Class 14.
•    RIHANNA U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 77/482,078 for use on cosmetics, fragrances, and other goods in Class 3.
•    RIHANNA U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 77/441,798 for use on all-purpose sports and athletic bags; beach, book, carry-on, duffel, diaper, gym, leather shopping, shoulder, tote and travel bags, among other goods, in Class 18.
•    R + Star Design U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 77/441,987 for use on all-purpose sports and athletic bags; beach, book, carry-on, duffel, diaper, gym, leather shopping, shoulder, tote and travel bags, among other goods, in Class 18.
•    R + Star Design U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 77/442,003 for use on clothing and clothing accessories in Class 25.

All of these applications were filed in the name of Roraj Trade, LLC, a New York limited liability company, and most of them were filed on an intent-to-use basis.

Rihanna’s fans can now not only look forward to her new music but also seeing the RIHANNA brand products and services in stores.


Aimee Kaplan, the trademark lawyer dedicated to musicians protecting their celebrity brands

Copyright 2008 Aimee Kaplan