2024’s latest online trend — known as the “very demure, very mindful, very cutesy” craze — was never trademarked by its social media star Jools LeBron. According to a new report, two people filed trademark applications for the phrase.
Per NBC News, a man named Jefferson Bates filed an application in Washington last week to trademark the now-viral phrase. The outlet reported that he currently owns other trademarks, including “Lets Ride — Jefferson A. Bates” and “Broncos Country Lets Ride — Jefferson A. Bates.” He has no connection to Jools.
In a since-deleted TikTok video, Jools expressed how upset she felt over the news and that she didn’t “try hard enough” to trademark the phrase. Elsewhere in the now-deleted post, Jools pointed out that she “didn’t have the resources” to manage her newfound stardom, adding, “I’ve just invested so much money and time into this, and I feel like I did it wrong. Like, I feel like I didn’t try hard enough.”
“I wanted this to do so much for my family and provide for my transition, and I just feel like I dropped the ball,” she said.
Jools LeBron, the creator who popularized “demure,” shares she’s unable to launch merch because her viral phrase was already trademarked:
“I wanted this to do so much for my family and provide for my transition and I just feel like I dropped the ball.” pic.twitter.com/FxTVHfb6Lo
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 24, 2024
The second person who filed a trademark is a woman named Raluca Pop, who told NBC News that she is trying to help Jools trademark the expression. Raluca told the outlet that Jools was “the one that created it and popularized [the phrase]. Like, she should be the one to reap the benefits. And once I saw that this other guy tried to steal it out from under her, I realized that he didn’t trademark the remainder of her phrase, ‘very cutesy.’ And that’s when I went and I did it, instead.”
Both trademark applications are still pending at the time of publication.
Although Jools has not discussed the situation on social media after deleting her reaction video, Raluca shared an update via TikTok on Monday, August 26. In the clip, Raluca revealed she spoke with Jools recently and explained that she wants to transfer the trademark to her once it’s approved.