From Cult Classics to Registered Marks: The New Era of Entertainment Trademarks in India

INTRODUCTION

Imagine coining a viral phrase on your YouTube channel, only to see brands, influencers, and meme pages using it everywhere—without credit or compensation. Or launching a hit podcast, only to find someone else registering its name as a trademark and locking you out of your own brand. In today’s fast-paced digital world, content isn’t just entertainment—it’s intellectual property with serious commercial value.

From blockbuster movie titles and chart-topping song lyrics to influencer catchphrases, viral memes, and even podcast names, India’s content creation industry is witnessing a trademark revolution. Content creators—whether they’re filmmakers, YouTubers, podcasters, musicians, or social media influencers—are increasingly securing legal rights over their most recognizable assets.

With the rise of OTT platforms, short-form content, and brand collaborations, monetizing intellectual property isn’t just about copyright anymore. Trademarks are becoming a powerful tool to control branding, prevent unauthorized commercial use, and open doors to licensing and merchandising deals. If you’re in the business of content creation, understanding how to trademark your creative identity isn’t just smart—it’s essential. Let’s dive into how this shift is changing the game for India’s content industry.

THE EXPANDING SCOPE OF TRADEMARKS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

In today’s content-driven world, virality equals value. A catchy phrase, a signature sound, or even a meme can turn into a recognizable brand asset overnight. The days when trademarks were limited to corporate logos and product names are long gone. Now, everything from movie dialogues and influencer catchphrases to podcast titles and gaming avatars are being trademarked. Here’s how different segments of India’s content creation industry are making trademarks work for them.

• Movie & Web Series Titles: Locking in Brand Value

Trademarking movie and web series titles is no longer just a legal precaution—it’s a business necessity. Yash Raj Films trademarked Dhoom and Dhoom Machale to prevent unauthorized merchandise or spin-offs. Similarly, Red Chillies Entertainment ensured exclusive rights to Raees, blocking others from launching similar-named products.

With web series becoming long-term properties (Sacred Games, Mirzapur), production houses are trademarking their names to protect licensing and sequel rights. Imagine another production house launching a low-budget Mirzapur Returns—trademarking prevents this dilution.

• Catchphrases & Viral Dialogues: More Than Just Words

Some dialogues take on a life of their own, appearing on merchandise, ads, memes, and brand campaigns. Trademarks give original creators control over commercial usage.

The dialogue “How’s the josh?” from Uri: The Surgical Strike became a nationwide sensation. Brands like Amul and Zomato used it in their marketing, but without proper trademark protection, the film producers couldn’t fully monetize its popularity. Ranveer Singh’s “Apna Time Aayega” became a youth anthem, leading to unauthorized T-shirts and phone covers. Had the production house trademarked it, they could have launched an official merchandise line instead of losing revenue to counterfeit sellers.

• Influencers & YouTubers: Owning Their Digital Identity

With influencers becoming personal brands, trademarking their names, slogans, and intros is crucial to prevent copycats.

Bhuvan Bam trademarked BB Ki Vines early on, ensuring that no one else could launch a similar brand or use the name commercially. Ashish Chanchlani, another top-tier Indian YouTuber, successfully trademarked ‘Ashish Chanchlani Vines’, ensuring that nobody can start a competing channel or business using a similar name. Shlok Srivastava (Tech Burner), one of India’s top tech content creators, has not only trademarked his name but has also secured legal protection for his logo and branding elements.

Without trademarks, influencers risk losing their signature phrases to businesses that capitalize on their popularity.

• Podcasts & Music Industry: Securing Audio Branding

With the podcast and independent music industry booming, trademarks help secure unique names, intros, and sounds. One of India’s top electronic music producers, Nucleya, has successfully trademarked his stage name. Spotify India has invested heavily in podcasting, acquiring exclusive rights to popular shows like Bhaskar Bose and Crime Kahaniyan.

Indian rappers like Divine and Emiway Bantai have built their brands around unique taglines, album names, and rap phrases. Divine trademarked ‘Gully Gang’, turning it into a full-fledged brand (music label, merchandise, live events).

Soundtracks and theme tunes are also being trademarked. The IPL theme music, for example, is legally protected to ensure no one else uses it in promotions.

• Gaming & Esports: Trademarking Digital Identities

The Indian gaming and esports industry is exploding, with streamers, pro players, and gaming organizations turning into massive brands. From gamer tags and team names to tournament brands and in-game items.

Naman Mathur, aka Mortal, India’s leading esports content creator, has built an entire brand around his gaming identity. His trademark ensures that no one else can use the name ‘Mortal’ commercially in gaming tournaments, sponsorships, or merchandise.

Krafton, the developer of BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India), has trademarked the game title, logos, and in-game elements to prevent clones and fakes. Animesh Agarwal, aka 8Bit Thug, is not just a streamer but also a gaming entrepreneur. His brand, S8UL (SouL + 8Bit), is a trademarked esports organization that controls its branding and revenue streams.

Red Bull M.E.O. (Mobile Esports Open) is a trademarked esports tournament that protects its branding, name, and sponsorship deals.

WHY THE SUDDEN RISE IN TRADEMARKS? THE COMMERCIAL GOLDMINE BEHIND CONTENT CREATION IP

The rapid rise in trademarks across the content creation industry isn’t just a legal trend—it’s a high-stakes commercial strategy. The digital economy has transformed content into valuable intellectual property (IP), where everything from a catchy dialogue to a podcast intro, a gaming alias, or an influencer’s tagline can be monetized. Trademarks are no longer just about protection; they are about ownership, brand equity, and direct monetization.

With audiences consuming entertainment across multiple platforms, the need to legally secure and commercialize content-driven brands has skyrocketed. Merchandising, licensing, brand collaborations, and D2C (direct-to-consumer) businesses have made trademarking a key revenue driver for creators, studios, and influencers.

The rise of trademarks in content creation is not just about preventing misuse—it’s about unlocking new revenue streams, building brand longevity, and ensuring that creators, not opportunistic third parties, benefit from their work. As the Indian content industry continues to grow, trademarking will become an essential tool for anyone looking to turn fame into a sustainable business model.

LEGALITY AND CHALLENGES

As the content creation industry expands, legal battles over ownership and commercial rights have started making headlines.

One of the biggest challenges is proving distinctiveness and commercial intent. Unlike logos or brand names, a viral phrase, a meme, or a game alias isn't automatically eligible for trademark protection unless it has acquired a secondary meaning in the market. The Indian Trademark Registry often rejects such applications if they appear too generic or common in usage.

While trademarks offer protection, enforcing them in the digital era comes with hurdles:

• Once a phrase, meme, or tagline goes viral, millions start using it freely, making it harder to prove exclusive ownership.

  
  

• If a YouTuber uses a gaming term in a review, does it count as infringement? What if a brand starts selling t-shirts with it? The line is often blurred.

  
  

• In esports, team names, player aliases, and tournament names need protection, but legal disputes over ownership have emerged, especially when players switch teams or brands claim rights over in-game names.

CONCLUSION & KEY TAKEAWAYS: THE BUSINESS OF OWNING YOUR CONTENT

The content creation industry in India is no longer just about going viral—it’s about owning and monetizing what you create. The most successful creators aren’t just talented; they’re strategic about ownership.

Whether you’re a YouTuber, gamer, influencer, podcaster, or production house, your brand isn’t just your identity; it’s an asset. The sudden rise in trademarking movie dialogues, gaming aliases, show titles, and influencer catchphrases isn’t a trend—it’s a business strategy.

• If you don’t protect your content, someone else will profit from it. That’s the hard truth.

•   Trademark Early, Not When It’s Too Late

•   Define Ownership in Contracts

• Copyright vs. Trademark—Understand the Difference

• Monitor & Enforce Your IP

• Monetize Smartly