Coffee with Ken vs. Mattel

The Trademark Battle

Coffee with Ken took on Mattel and won.

What happened

David, meet Goliath.

In 2025, Mattel — the toy giant behind Barbie and the Ken doll — challenged the trademark for Coffee with Ken, an independent conversation series. Rather than back down, we fought to protect the name our guests and audience helped build.

In October 2025, Mattel dropped its challenge. Coffee with Ken keeps its trademark, with a single carve-out: it does not extend to toys and dolls. On everything that matters to this series, we won.

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Coffee with Ken federal trademark registration certificate, mug, and notebook

We won.
Toys and dolls excepted.

Coffee with Ken retains its trademark for the conversation series. The only thing off the table is toys and dolls — which was never the point.

In the headlines

The story, in the press.

New York Post · Oct 23, 2025Mattel drops “Coffee with Ken” podcast trademark challengeRead ↗TMZ · Aug 14, 2025Mattel’s trademark challenge over the “Ken” nameRead ↗WUSA9 · Aug 7, 2025DC podcast Coffee with Ken takes on toy giant MattelRead ↗

The receipts

Stories, interviews & headlines.

Axios coverage of Coffee with Ken vs. Mattel
TMZ coverage of Coffee with Ken vs. Mattel
Washingtonian coverage of Coffee with Ken vs. Mattel
APAP Barclays CAA CSPC DC United DOE Department of Transpertation Department of War JP Morgan Library of Congress London Defence Conference Monumental Sports NASA NYSE National Consumers League North Fork TV Festival Social Innovation Summit US Chamber of Commerce WHHA Washington Nationals
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