Podcasters who adore Oprah are prohibited from using his or her name: lawsuit

Oprah can only exist in one form.

 

The up-and-coming podcasters behind “Oprahdemics,” a celebration of everything O, are being sued by Harpo Inc., the business owned by the renowned talk show host.

The trademark infringement complaint in Manhattan Federal Court accuses the podcast of misleading listeners into thinking it has Winfrey’s approval.

According to the lawsuit filed by Harpo Inc., Kellie Carter Jackson and Leah Wright Rigueur are utilising the Oprahdemics name without authorization on both their podcast and live events.

The lawsuit claims that the Oprah name has some clout.

 

In court documents, Harpo claims that “the Oprah brand has been highly known and famous over the previous thirty-five plus years.” “In numerous occasions, a product or service’s sales have increased exponentially just by being connected with the Oprah brand. The phrase “The Oprah Effect” or “The O Factor” has been used to refer to this informally.

 

The Oprahdemics podcast series’ debut season finished on June 15 with a live performance at the Tribeca Film Festival. According to the complaint, Jackson and Rigueur held a follow-up event on Instagram Live on July 12.

There’s a new podcast, look under your seat! The Oprahdemics website, which sports Oprah’s distinctive “O” logo, gushes about co-hosts Jackson and Rigueur. “Two historians (and friends) break down Oprah’s most historic episodes, and what the Queen of Talk has meant for our culture.”

 

Oprah’s reverse spelling, Harpo, isn’t asking for financial compensation. According to court documents, the firm wants the podcast to have a new name so as not to “dilute” the brand.

Harpo, Inc.’s attorneys did not respond to messages.

 

The podcast, which was created by Roulette Productions, was described as “a journalistic exploration by history professors and sincere, ardent Oprah Winfrey devotees” by a producer.

This is a result of both intense appreciation and critical thought. The hostesses, Kellie and Leah, are outstanding. While truly shocked by this, Roulette Productions—which creates “Oprahdemics” and has been working with the Harpo crew for some time—said: “We want to address it.