Mariah Carey suffered a setback in the construction of her Christmas empire on Tuesday, with the grinches at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denying the pop star’s application to trademark the title of “Queen of Christmas.” The “All I Want for Christmas Is You” singer, who was called an “inescapable” part of the holiday season by The Wall Street Journal, requested the trademark last year. It would have allowed her company, Lotion, LLC (yes, really), to slap the merry title on merchandise and albums. The move was opposed by another self-described Christmas queen, Elizabeth Chan, a holiday-themed musician whose career has been defined by the 12 Christmas albums she’s recorded—so far. Chan filed a formal protest to Carey’s application in August. In its decision, a trademark tribunal determined that Carey would not be granted the trademark, as she’d never responded to Chan’s argument. Still, a victory by default is a victory nonetheless. Reached by Page Six after the decision was announced, Chan tearfully explained, “I did this to protect and save Christmas. Christmas isn’t about one single person—it’s about everybody.” Spoken like a true queen among queens.
