If Kanye West wants the rights to the “White Lives Matter” phrase, he will need to cough up some serious cash, according to TMZ.
The owner of the trademark to WLM, Ramses Ja, and his co-host Quinton Ward told the outlet they are not interested in selling, but if they were, it would cost someone at least $1 billion. After Ye’s recent financial hits, that price tag seemingly exceeds what he can afford.
The trademark was filed the same day Ye wore the White Lives Matter shirts during Paris Fashion Week. An anonymous caller of Ja and Ward’s Phoenix-based radio show Civic Cipher show acquired the trademark and transferred it over to the two co-hosts a few weeks ago.
“The listener did not want to be associated with this in any way, but they recognize the importance of ownership,” Ja told NPR. “You can prevent bad things from happening by owning it. You can shape the outcomes.”
The trademark covers the right to sell clothing with the phrase, preventing Ye from selling his controversial shirts. Ja said their attorney is prepared to take legal action against the former billionaire if he decides to start selling the shirt.
Ja told the outlet that they have not heard from Kanye since acquiring the rights to WLM.
