Social media influencer Alix Earle has refuted claims that she attempted to trademark her past racist remarks from AskFM, a question-and-answer platform from 2014, in an effort to curb their circulation online. In a recent Instagram Story, she issued an apology for the “deeply offensive” language she used and expressed regret for not addressing the issue sooner. Earle also responded to allegations circulating on TikTok and Reddit, which suggested that individuals sharing her old comments had received warnings from her legal team regarding trademark infringement.
“In not addressing this earlier, my silence allowed for the spread of rumors that are completely false. One particularly absurd rumor is that I attempted to trademark my old posts, which is entirely untrue,” Earle stated. “Another unfounded claim is that a brand has publicly distanced itself from me, despite us never even discussing a partnership.”
Recently, podcast hosts Jessi Smiles and Lily Marston from “Do We Know Them?” revealed they received a communication from Earle’s legal team alleging copyright violations linked to discussions on a subreddit that they do not manage. “According to them, we allegedly broke numerous laws, including money laundering,” Marston recounted during a podcast episode, which displayed what they claimed was the email from Earle’s lawyers. “People posted screenshots of [the comments] on our subreddit, and her lawyer asserted they have a trademark for that. Did you really trademark her racist AskFM comments?” added Smiles. While Earle owns a trademark for her name, it remains unclear whether this extends to the content in the screenshots or the trademark itself.