Oprah Winfrey Company Sues Podcasters Over Unauthorized ‘Oprahdemics’ Name | VIDEO

YouTube video

*Oprah Winfrey’s name has global recognition. Even the letter O rings bells for people around the world. Harpo Inc., the company that controls Oprah Winfrey’s trademarks, thoroughly investigates every licensing opportunity.

Harpo Inc., is now suing a podcasting team for claims of an unlawful and unauthorized attempt to profit from “The Oprah Effect.” Harpo Inc., has filed a lawsuit against Kellie Carter Jackson and Leah Wright Rigueur for their ‘Oprahdemics‘ podcast.

The name #Oprahdemics, according to Winfrey’s firm, misleads listeners to believe that Oprah is involved with the podcast. They further claim that this assumption further dilutes the strength of her brand and may cause irreparable damage to Harpo Inc’s., image.

The podcasters’ production company released a statement in direct response to the lawsuit: “This comes from a place of both deep admiration and critical thinking. Kellie and Leah are remarkable hosts. Roulette Productions produces ‘Oprahdemics’ and has been engaged with the team at Harpo for some time–while genuinely surprised by this, we hope to resolve it.”

MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: Informant Tipped off Investigators About More Documents at Mar-a-Lago: WSJ | VIDEOs

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by the Jasmine BRAND (@thejasminebrand)

Wait. There’s more …

Harp says all it wants is a name change, saying the podcast and related live events negatively affect the company’s “Oprah” and “O” trademarks, and wrongly capitalize on the goodwill that Winfrey has spent decades building, reports Reuters.

Harpo, which is Oprah spelled backward, said simply being associated with the “Oprah” brand often causes an “exponential” jump in sales, known as “The Oprah Effect” or “The O Factor.”

The “Oprahdemics” website describes Jackson and Rigueur as historians and friends who break down iconic episodes of Winfrey’s talk show and discuss the cultural impact of the “Queen of Talk.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Oprahdemics, A Podcast (@oprahdemics)

In a statement, co-producer Jody Avirgan, whose company Roulette Productions is also a defendant, called “Oprahdemics” a “journalistic exploration by history professors and sincere, longtime fans of Oprah Winfrey.”

He said Roulette “has been engaged with the team at Harpo for some time–while genuinely surprised by this, we hope to resolve it.”

In an April interview with NPR, Rigueur called Winfrey an institution.

“This is a woman, a Black woman, who has dominated multiple spaces and arenas” since the 1980s, she said. “I say that in a way that doesn’t absolve her of … constructive criticism or feedback or anything like that, but instead as recognition of … the institution of Oprah Winfrey and the Oprah Winfrey brand.”

Winfrey, 68, is also an actress and philanthropist who parlayed her namesake Chicago television talk show, which ran nationally from 1986 to 2011, into a media and business empire. She is worth $2.5 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!

Valentine's Day Roses
Jonathan and Mochael
Kanye West and Bianca Censori - Getty
Jalen Hurts - Getty
fried salmon burgers
Marlon Wayans and Soulja Boy - via Grok AI
Taco Bell customer and security guard who slapped her
Keke Palmer (Soul Train 2023) - GettyImages
George Lopez on The Jennifer Hudson Show - screenshot
fake ICE signs
Cherelle Parker - screenshot
Read More
Kanye West and Bianca Censori on Grammy Red Carpet - screenshot
Read More
Damon Wayans
Read More
Beyond the Gates
Read More
Denzel Washington - Gladiator II
Read More
Learjet after crashing - via Grok AI
Read More
Sunny Hostin
Read More
Amtrak
Read More
Will Smith (AI character from 'I Am Legend 2'
Read More
Bevelyn Beatty Williams
Read More

POPULAR

Beyond the Gates
CBS to Air Special on New Daytime Soap Opera 'Beyond The Gates'
Amtrak
Amtrak's Auto Train Offers Travel with Vehicle Transport Between Virginia and Florida
Onijah Andrew Robinson
Black American Woman Returns to New York After Bizarre Ordeal in Pakistan | Video
NFL
NFL Sparks Outrage with 'Black National Anthem' Performance at Super Bowl 59
Taco Bell customer and security guard who slapped her
Crunch Slap Supreme: Taco Bell Security Guard Caught Brutally Slapping Black Woman in Viral Video | WATCH
Irv Gotti - Getty
Irv Gotti's Family Expects a Packed Church for His Funeral at Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral
Kendrick Lamar performing
'Worst Halftime Show Ever!' - Reactions to Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime Show | WATCH
Kanye West and Bianca Censori on Grammy Red Carpet - screenshot
U Can See Err'thang! Bianca Censori's Nude/Sheer Dress Steals the Show at the Grammys: More Skin Than Fabric! | LookWatch!
Serena Williams - via screenshot
Serena Williams Reveals Kendrick Lamar Requested Her Crip Walk Performance - That's it. No 'Git Back' at Drake