Jools Lebron’s ‘very demure, very mindful’ could be trademarked. Here’s what to know about the law

Lebron’s trademark filings are still pending, and it could be a while before there’s a final determination.

“Very demure, very mindful” has become the latest vocabulary defining the internet’s summer. And TikTok creator Jools Lebron is now working to trademark uses of her now-viral words.

Lebron filed to trademark “very demure very mindful” for various entertainment and advertising services, including the promotion of beauty products, last week with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Two filings dated Thursday are under her legal name, a representative for Lebron confirmed to The Associated Press.

Trademarks can help secure rights to maintain certain business down the road. But it’s also possible — although rare — for content creators to make meaningful income after gaining social media fame through other avenues like direct brand sponsorships and viewer donations. Lebron, who is a transgender woman, said last month that she was able to finance the rest of her transition.

Lebron’s trademark filings are still pending, and it could be a while before there’s a final determination. But the move is particularly notable after several other individuals with no known connection to Lebron separately tried to register demure-related trademarks in an apparent effort to capitalize on the success of those phrases, much to the dismay of Lebron’s fans.

The saga, while unfinished, has spotlighted the complex process of filing trademarks that capture a viral moment — and the battle that social media content creators face to both get credit and find protections to monetize off the trends they popularize.

Here’s what you should know.