Real-estate mogul and reality-TV star Donald Trump has filed a trademark application for the phrase "You're Fired," according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Web site. The phrase is Trump's signature line used to dismiss underlings on the hit TV show "The Apprentice."

Trump intends to emblazon "You're Fired" on games and casino services, as well as on a new line of "You're Fired! Donald J. Trump" clothing. The trademark does not mean, of course, that other tyrannical bosses will have to alter their vocabulary if the application wins approval--it will only protect very specific uses.

The patent office granted 185,000 trademark applications in the last fiscal year, each requiring about a year to process. One news report noted that Trump might actually have competition for his signature saying--a search of the PTO's database revealed that three other applications for "You're fired" have already been filed.

(March, 2004)