PhraseSafe is an informational tool and is not legal advice. A match (or no match) does not mean a phrase is or isn't safe to use. Consult a trademark attorney for decisions.
This page is informational only and is not legal advice. Trademark status can change; confirm with the USPTO or a trademark attorney.
Yes, for T-shirts. Disney Enterprises, Inc. owns a live, renewed U.S. registration for HAKUNA MATATA covering T-shirts in class 25 (Reg. No. 2700605). Two other HAKUNA MATATA records in merch-adjacent classes are dead: a craft-paint registration was cancelled in 2010, and a 2020 application for housewares was terminated.
| Mark | Mark type | Status | Classes | Owner | Goods (excerpt) | Filed | Serial | Reg. No. / date | Status date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAKUNA MATATA | Standard characters (typed) | Live: registered | 25 | DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC. | 025: T-shirts | Aug. 08, 1994 | 74558335 | 2700605 / Mar. 25, 2003 | Sep. 14, 2023 | TSDR |
| HAKUNA MATATA | Standard characters (typed) | Dead: registration cancelled | 2,16 | CONROS CORPORATION | 002 (section 8 - cancelled): PAINTS FOR ARTISTS, NAMELY, TEMPERA PAINT, POSTER PAINT AND POSTER COLOR 016 (section 8 - cancelled): CRAYONS, ARTS AND CRAFT PAINT KITS; GLUE FOR STATIONERY OR HOUSEHOLD USE; PAINTING SETS COMPRISED OF TEMPERA PAINT |
Feb. 09, 1998 | 75431504 | 2288607 / Oct. 26, 1999 | May 29, 2010 | TSDR |
| HAKUNAMATATA | Standard characters | Dead: application terminated | 21 | Shanghai Huiyue International Trade Co., Ltd. | 021 (terminated): Candlesticks; Aerosol dispensers, not for medical purposes; Bottles for pharmaceuticals sold empty; Boxes for dispensing paper towels for household use; Butter-dish … | Sep. 14, 2020 | 90177913 | — | Dec. 10, 2021 | TSDR |
Goods text is quoted from the USPTO record and shortened where marked “…”. Classes listed are international classes. A dash (—) means no registration has issued.
Mark type matters. A standard-character mark covers the wording itself, in any font or style. A stylized or design (logo) mark is registered as shown, and how far it reaches to the same words in plain text is fact-specific. A trademark attorney can tell you how it applies to your design.
About this check. This page lists only the 3 USPTO records shown above. We picked them from a limited sample of search results (the top 100 results per phrase search, when a common phrase can have thousands of related filings) and verified each one on its USPTO TSDR status page. Other filings, live or dead, may exist. Where this page says "none," it means none in the records we checked.
Shirts and apparel (class 25). This is the risky one. The live registration names T-shirts specifically, and the owner is a major entertainment company. A shirt that says "Hakuna Matata," especially paired with savanna or lion imagery, sits directly on top of the registered goods.
Mugs, tumblers, home goods (class 21). The only class 21 record we checked (HAKUNAMATATA, serial 90177913) is dead. That does not make mugs risk-free: owners of well-known marks sometimes object to uses beyond their listed goods, and marketplaces don't always weigh class details when handling a complaint.
Stickers and paper (class 16). The class 16 registration owned by Conros Corporation was cancelled in 2010 for a missed Section 8 declaration. None of the class 16 records we checked is live.
Bags and jewelry (classes 18, 14). None in the records we checked, but the same caveat about well-known marks applies.
Variants are starting points, not clearances. Any new wording can match a record we didn't list or a filing made after our check. Run every final phrase through a search before you list it.
One phrase is easy to look up. Hundreds of listings aren't. PhraseSafe checks the titles and tags in your Etsy or Shopify listings export against USPTO trademark records in merch classes and flags matches with status, class, owner and filing date. Starter scans up to 500 listings at a time. Pro adds a monthly new-filing check and daily status checks on marks you watch, with results shown on your PhraseSafe dashboard. Paid plans are activated with a license key.
This page is informational only and is not legal advice. Trademark status can change; confirm with the USPTO or a trademark attorney. A match (or no match) doesn't mean a phrase is or isn't okay to use.
Trademark data: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office public records, verified on USPTO TSDR status pages. Last checked: Oct. 18, 2026, about 3:10 PM PT. Not affiliated with the USPTO or any marketplace.