Hot Girls Read…but do they understand trademark law?
Enemies-to-lovers tropes, slowburn stories, and spice level ratings may not mean anything to the common internet user but the romance-book-loving community of TikTok, self-styled “BookTok”, created a whole world of meaning around these phrases. Often appearing on merch, coffee mugs, bookmarks, hoodies, etc., sold on Etsy, these phrases have meaning and value because of their common and repeated use in the online “BookTok” community. A trademark controversy erupted in the community this year, not involving any books or authors, but instead involving one of these commonly used mantras in the community, “Hot Girls Read.”
What is “Hot Girls Read?”
“Hot Girls Read” is a phrase found on mugs, drink cozies, laptop stickers and bookmarks in many Etsy shops. Allie Rose Co., a relative newcomer to the “BookTok” community, also sold bookmarks and sweatshirts printed with the phrase in different colors and typefaces. Even though Allie Rose Co. had only joined the “BookTok” community in 2021, the owner, Allie, saw an opportunity to trademark the phrase and limit competition. Allie Rose Co. filed for a trademark that became officially registered in February 2026. Following the official registration, Allie excitedly announced her trademark on the phrase, along with a gentle reminder that anyone in the community still using the phrase should immediately stop use in their own shops.
The Contention
The announcement sparked an immediate uproar. The “BookTok” community was outraged that a singular business owner would attempt to take ownership over a commonly used phrase. In retaliation, members of the community started a GoFundMe to raise money to make a trademark filing of their own on Allie Rose Co.’s company name, which Allie had unadvisedly left unprotected. The group raised more than their goal in less than one day, but after receiving good legal advice from a trademark attorney, they decided to file a cancellation of the trademark of “Hot Girls Read.” Two days after the runaway success of the GoFundMe, Allie posted an apology video to TikTok and officially abandoned her trademark of “Hot Girls Read.”
Why This is Important
This controversy was extremely avoidable. And if Allie had read trademark law as carefully as she reads a romantasy novel, she might have known that this trademark was not a sound business decision. Federally registering your trademark doesn’t automatically mean your mark is protectable and safe from any challenges. Under Common Law, to have the right of a protected trademark you must have priority of use. This does not necessarily mean that you were the first to conceive of the mark, but instead that you were the first to use the mark in commerce. Therefore, to keep hold of her trademark, Allie did not have to prove that she was the first to conceive of the “Hot Girls Read” phrase but instead that she was the first to use it in business. This was not the case because there were numerous small businesses using the phrase before Allie Rose Co. even showed up on the “BookTok” scene. The same thing that made Allie’s claim on “Hot Girls Read” weak is the same thing that would have defeated the communities’ retaliatory attempts to trademark the Allie Rose Co. company name. Priority of use is an important element of trademark law that should never be overlooked when attempting to register a trademark.
When looking to trademark your ideas, it’s important that you make sure that you have the protectable interest in the asset to begin with. This is especially important when trademarking phrases that are commonly used on the internet. If you are not the first to use a mark in sales, then you are not likely to have a strong, protectable trademark. Others who have used the mark before you will have a stronger claim and be able to easily challenge your registration.
Author Credit: Sierra Chrisman
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