#Blessed.
Tyler Perry has won the trademark to the question that swept the ’90s by storm, inspiring clothing, jewelry and more: “What Would Jesus Do?”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Perry won rights following a battle with Kimberly Kearney, who was known as “Poprah” while competing on the VH1 series “I Want to Work for Diddy.”
The creator of “The Haves and the Have Nots” initially registered “What Would Jesus Do?” back in 2008 in the entertainment services category. Perry also included a disclaimer that he wasn’t attempting ownership on the exclusive right to use “Jesus” apart from the rest of the phrase.
But a few months prior, Kearney had also attempted to register the trademark in hopes of using it for reality television programming.
When Kearney’s “What Would Jesus Do?” trademark was published for opposition in 2010, Tyler Perry Studios hoped to cancel it on grounds that Kearney wasn’t using the trademark and demanded the office declare her registration abandoned.
While Kearney claims Perry stole the phrase after she pitched him her television show idea, the United States Patent and Trademark Office ultimately declared Perry the victor.