In 2004, Donald Trump attempted trademarking the phrase “You’re fired.” While he did not invent the phrase, he had popularized it by using it to evict contestants on his TV show, The Apprentice. The show was popular, with 20 million viewers tuning in on NBC every week. Trump planned to use the phrase on merchandise, games, and in his casino business.

Three other people tried to trademark the phrase at the same time. However, the USPTO refused to issue the trademark to anybody because the phrase sounded too close to “You’re hired,” which had already been trademarked by Franklin Learning for its educational game board. The rejection was a huge relief to one Susan Brenner, who owned a pottery business called You’re Fired.