A Russian company has filed an application to register an “Oppah, Gangnam Style” trademark to produce a variety of beverages, from vodka and cocktails to juices.
Trademark rights to the “Gangnam Style” music hit belong to rapper Psy. The pop star made YouTube history when his “Gangnam Style” became the first video to hit 1 billion views.
In August South Korean company YG Entertainment Inc. applied to register “Gangnam Style” as a trademark in America to cover a variety of goods, from toys to clothes. The list didn’t mention beverages so Woobo International has reportedly applied to register “Gangnam Style” beverages in America.
According to Russian patent agency Rospatent, the question of Psy’s trademark in Russia hasn’t been settled yet. It has reportedly received an application from a Yekaterinburg-based company called “City”.
Irina Tulubyeva from a specialist law firm told Izvesia daily that the trademark won’t be registered in Russia unless Psy personally gives it the go ahead.
Another expert, Stars & Brands managing partner Vadim Kormilitsyn, is sure however that even if the trademark gets registered in Russia, it won’t be very popular.
“Views as such do not guarantee viewership and loyalty. The users have watched and forgotten. One cannot draw an equal mark between the name of the brand or a line from the lyrics and a product that will be produced under the trademark,” Kormilitsyn told Izvestia.
The owner of The Legend media agency, Anton Korobkov-Zemlyansky, also remained skeptical about the potential success of the Russian-made “Oppah, Gangnam Style” vodka.
“The video’s popularity is currently not going up. It’s uneconomic to make money at this moment. Besides, up to a year will pass before the trademark gets registered. By that time it will be completely forgotten,” he explained.
“If Psy doesn’t release new hits, the brands based on Gangnam Style will die soon,” said Nikolay Solabuto of the Trade-Portal investment company.
“If Psy’s popularity in the world endures for another two or three years, one can launch not only vodka, but anything, from souvenirs to clothes,” Solabuto told Izvestia.
The song was released in July 2012 as the lead single of his sixth studio album PSY 6 (Six Rules), Part 1, and debuted at number one on South Korea's Gaon Chart. The phrase ‘Gangnam Style’ is a Korean neologism that refers to a lifestyle associated with the Gangnam District of Seoul. The song and its accompanying music video went viral in August 2012 and have influenced popular culture worldwide since then.
First published at rt.com.
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