How US firm trademarked the ‘hakuna matata’ phrase

Disney’s 2019 remake of the 1994 The Lion King, the musical animation, is set for theatre release on July 19, 2019. For those who have listened to one of the animation’s soundtracks featuring Beyonce and titled “Spirit”, the song starts with Uishi kwa muda mrefu mfalme…. This will be the second Swahili phrase in the animation that has for over 20 years been largely responsible for the world knowing the catchy phrase hakuna matata!

Disney Enterprises Inc applied for the registration of Hakuna Matata as a trade mark on August 8, 1994, and registration was granted on March 25, 2003. From this date, Disney acquired exclusive rights to use Hakuna Matata in the US on T-shirts, and this remains the case today.