Steven Crowder says he plans to sue CNN over its use of his “Change My Mind” branding. The conservative commentator claims the network violated his registered trademark during a town hall event with James Talarico.
What We Know: Crowder has built a series of in-person debates around the “Change My Mind” branding, in which he invites people to discuss and challenge his positions on various topics. However, CNN used the same phrase to brand a segment of its town hall with Talarico earlier this week. Crowder subsequently argued that the network used his registered trademark without authorization. He now says he plans to take legal action over the segment.
What They Said: “Well, I guess we should officially announce: we’re suing. We need to find out who flagrantly disregarded the trademark, who flagrantly plagiarized, who profited off of it most, and for what degree of time. This, what you just saw, is what you would call legal nomenclature. I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t want to misspeak, but this is a slam dunk.” -Steven Crowder
What Remains Unclear: Crowder hasn’t publicly detailed the legal claims he intends to pursue or identified the specific individuals he believes are responsible. It also remains unclear whether he has formally filed a lawsuit against CNN. The outcome could depend on the scope of his trademark rights and whether CNN’s use of the phrase constitutes infringement.
What It Means: A potential lawsuit would put CNN’s use of a recognizable phrase associated with Crowder’s content under legal scrutiny. However, claiming a trademark violation doesn’t establish that infringement occurred. The dispute could ultimately turn on the protections afforded to Crowder’s registered mark and how the network used the phrase during its town hall.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
