Kanye West’s Business Comeback Hits Snag With “Yews” Trademark Failures

Kanye West suffered another major business setback when the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office abandoned hundreds of his trademark applications, including 20 attempts to secure rights to the controversial name “Yews.”

The trademark failures represent the latest blow to West’s business empire, which has been crumbling since his antisemitic outbursts in 2022 and 2023 cost him lucrative partnerships with Adidas, Gap, and other major brands.

According to Radar, West’s trademark firm Ox Paha filed applications for “Yews” across multiple categories, including food, beverages, clothing, household goods, jewelry, and news reporting.

The news reporting category was intended for his short-lived alt-right website Yews News, which operated for just a few months in 2024 before shutting down.

In the past 12 months alone, approximately 350 trademark applications from Ox Paha have been abandoned by the Patent Office.

Many applications expired because the firm failed to demonstrate how the trademarks would be used within the required timeframes. The trademark office has not approved a single Ox Paha application in the past five years, according to public records.

The “Yews” trademark attempts came after West made a series of antisemitic statements starting in October 2022, when he posted on social media that he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people.”

His comments escalated over the following months, including praise for Adolf Hitler during a December 2022 appearance on Alex Jones’ show. Those remarks triggered massive backlash that destroyed West’s billion-dollar fortune almost overnight.

Adidas terminated its Yeezy partnership, resulting in an estimated $1.3 billion in lost revenue and ending West’s billionaire status, according to Forbes.

Gap, Balenciaga, and other fashion partners also severed ties with the rapper, while streaming platforms and radio stations pulled his music. The antisemitic controversy effectively blacklisted West from mainstream business partnerships and cost him an estimated $2 billion in deals.

West appeared to recognize the damage his antisemitic comments caused when he met with Israeli-Moroccan Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto in New York in November 2025.

During the private meeting, West apologized for his past remarks and said he was “taking accountability” for promoting antisemitism.

View this post on Instagram

The rapper blamed his bipolar disorder for his antisemitic actions and expressed genuine remorse to the prominent Orthodox rabbi. The apology came after years of refusing to back down from his controversial statements.

Despite the trademark setbacks, West has been working to rebuild his business empire throughout 2025 and 2026. He relaunched his independent Yeezy brand with new footwear releases, including the YZY BL-01 sneakers and YZY SL-01 slides that sold directly through his website.

The new Yeezy drops marked West’s first major product launches since losing his Adidas partnership.

West has also been preparing for his musical comeback with his 12th studio album Bully, which he confirmed will be released on January 30, 2026. The album was originally announced in September 2024 but faced multiple delays as West worked on the project.

He revealed the Bully tracklist via a new website at bully.yeezy.com, emphasizing physical formats like vinyl over digital streaming, which appears to be an anti-streaming stance.

The album rollout represents West’s attempt to regain control over his music distribution. To support the album release, West announced his first major tour in years with dates scheduled throughout 2026.

The tour will kick off with two massive shows at Mexico City’s Monumental Plaza de Toros on January 30 and February 1, 2026, marking his return to the venue after 17 years.

The Mexico City concerts broke attendance records at the venue, with West’s team announcing that ticket demand exceeded that for major sporting events.

Additional tour dates are expected to be announced for cities across North America and Europe throughout 2026.