It’s very rare to see the book community gather in arms against someone or something. But suddenly this week my timelines across multiple platforms (X, TikTok, Threads, and Instagram) were flooded with videos and discussions regarding one thing: Who really owns the phrase Hot Girls Read?
A small business, Allie Rose Co., revealed that they successfully registered the trademark to the term for various goods and services into two wider categories: one involving stationery including bookmarks, stickers, book covers, and notepads and another for clothing like sweatshirts, graphic t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts.
You don’t have to be deep into #BookTok to know that Hot Girls Read is absolutely everywhere. The phrase popped up one day as early as 2020 and was instantly accepted by the community. It’s a popular hashtag on social media that’s been used for years.
For many women, the term “hot girl” was a way to bring their love for reading into a new light, unashamed by what content lies on the page and what thoughts people may have on it. Women, for many years throughout history, were not allowed to read. And for a long time, reading was then seen as an activity that would scare off men for fear of them feeling too dumb. This has since changed, but I distinctly remember when I was growing up that reading was viewed as a nerdy activity—although there were exceptions to the rule like the height of Twilight and The Hunger Games.
Now, as smut and sex become more openly talked about and embraced in this industry, and women become more unashamed of their hobbies, it makes sense that the term “hot girl” has been adapted as a positive way to turn what was viewed as lower and nerdy into something that is desired and beloved.
Different shops and creators created their own merch using the term, especially in the height of the pandemic. Women would flock to buy the merch and show off their pride in their hobby. It helped openly grow the community outside of the internet. So it’s surprising to see one person essentially say, “Actually, I should be the only one to use this,” and not think about the community that it affects. Not only did it become a rallying cry for the community, but it allowed us to take pride in something that we always loved the same way others have been able to. It became more than a slogan on a t-shirt, and a way to prove that any girl can not only love reading, but also be hot doing it.
The Allie Rose Co. Instagram page started in 2019 and began selling merch in 2020. It wouldn’t be until February 2023 that we get a first glimpse of a bookmark and a sweatshirt saying “Hot Girls Read.” And while a trademark doesn’t require you to be the first person to use something, there are popular previous examples, including a book club called Hot Girl Reading Club, which kicked off on Instagram in February 2020. Lena Dunham mentioned that “Hot girls read confessional poetry,” in April 2021. Even before that, an X account by the username @rihannasblunt_ even said, “Hot girls read books,” in November 2020. It’s one thing if you actually coined the phrase. It’s another when there’s clear proof of it existing before you decided to take it into your own hands to make money.
In the middle of all this, something else was happening in culture: Megan Thee Stallion released the song “Hot Girl Summer,” in 2019. She had been calling herself “Thee Hot Girl,” since May of that same year when her track “Cash Shit,” was released. She’s been doing “real hot girl shit” ever since, and fans have adopted the mantra. Rightfully so, a lot of users have pointed out how this is another way for white women to benefit from the work of Black women.
It’s not just the trademarking of one phrase, but a larger question, too: if one small business can do this, what about a larger corporation?
“idk trademarking a common phrase doesn’t seem to be something a genuine community member would do 🤷🏼♀️,” influencer Serena wrote on Threads.
“It is this DEEP because it takes away joy from the hobby that brought so many people together,” another Threads user wrote.
“More importantly I hope this outcry sends a message to others who are thinking about trademarking common terms to stop and think,” @Graciebird_booktique wrote in a post. “There’s plenty of space in the small business world for everyone to play nicely in the sandbox.”
And now there are other trademarks in the works that have been flagged as well. Someone filed a trademark for “book boyfriend” in 2025. Earlier this year, someone also filed an application for “blind date with a book.”
But if trademarking isn’t about who was here first, then who is it protecting? It also forces us to ask, is any of this worth going against the very community that you’re trying to be a part of? Right now, all signs are pointing to no. And if the community itself is saying that this is all wrong, then maybe we should listen to them. They’re the ones who built it in the first place.
