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TikTok creator who popularized ‘very demure’ trend didn’t trademark her catchphrase

Someone else claimed legal rights to Jools Lebron’s viral expression before she could. Now, another creator says she’s trying to help.

This image released by Disney shows TikTok creator Jools Lebron, left, with talk show personality Guillermo Rodriguez on the set of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Randy Holmes/ABC-Disney via AP) (Randy Holmes, © 2024 Disney. All rights reserved.)

As many people continue to teach themselves how to be “very demure,” a surprise trademark application has sparked a frenzy over the legal rights to the viral phrase that captivated TikTok.

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Jools Lebron, who has 2 million followers on TikTok, is credited for starting the online craze over the “very mindful” and “very cutesy” lingo. But two other people filed for trademarks before Lebron could, according to legal documents obtained by NBC News.

More than 173,000 TikTok posts have used the word “demure” in the last seven days, according to analytics from the platform. The trend burgeoned after Lebron went viral this month for her videos explaining how to be “very demure” at work, “very mindful” while waiting to board a plane and “very cutesy” during a night out on vacation. The phrases have been inundating social media to email inboxes as brands and celebrities hop on the trend.

To continue reading, visit nbcnews.com


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