Mariah Carey has been accused of being a grinch over her attempt to trademark “Queen of Christmas.”
Singers Darlene Love and Elizabeth Chan claim the pop superstar – whose “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is ubiquitous over the holidays – should not be granted exclusive use of the title.
“David Letterman officially declared me the Queen of Christmas 29 years ago, a year before she released ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You,’ and at 81 years of age I’m NOT changing anything,” wrote Love in a message on Facebook. “I’ve been in the business for 52 years, have earned it and can still hit those notes! If Mariah has a problem call David or my lawyer!!”
Love recorded several holiday songs for A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector in 1963, including “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”
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Chan, who releases nothing but Christmas music (her 2021 album is titled Queen of Christmas), last week filed formal opposition to Carey’s trademark application.
“I feel very strongly that no one person should hold onto anything around Christmas or monopolize it in the way that Mariah seeks to in perpetuity,” Chan told Variety. “That’s just not the right thing to do. Christmas is for everyone. It’s meant to be shared; it’s not meant to be owned.”
In an interview last year on UK radio, Carey brushed off the Queen of Christmas title. “That was other people, and I just want to humbly say that I don’t consider myself that,” she said.
Carey filed in March 2021 to trademark Queen of Christmas, QOC, Princess of Christmas and Christmas Princess for 16 categories of goods, including recordings, clothing, fragrances, food, alcoholic beverages, decorations and face masks.