Trollface Money

Trollface got trademarked by Carlos Ramirez in 2010, right after he posted it on 4chan. Now he makes between five and fifteen grand a month off it. And before you say anything about the internet being a free space or memes being communal property—yeah, you’re wrong. Carlos has the paperwork.

Here’s the thing: he sensed it was big. Most people would’ve watched Trollface spread and felt good about contributing to culture or whatever. Carlos was like: no, this is mine. He trademarked it. Now when game studios or T-shirt artists want to use it, they pay him. And if they don’t, he sues.

There’s something almost admirable about the shamelessness of it. Not the suing—that’s expected. But the original move was pure: make something, own it, profit. No pretense about art or community or any of that. Just business.

The sarcastic conclusion in the original post is that everyone should do this—quit your job, trademark every stupid meme you see online, get rich. Obviously that’s a joke, but it’s funny because it’s not entirely wrong. The infrastructure is there. Memes don’t magically escape property law. Carlos just saw that first and acted on it.

And honestly? I can’t even be that mad about it. It’s completely cynical, but at least there’s no pretense. He made something people loved, he owned it, he profits. Clean transaction.