Mariah Carey has failed in her bid to trademark the moniker "Queen of Christmas."

The US Patent and Trademark Office denied the application after her company did not respond to another singer's opposition.

She was also denied the right to trademark the abbreviations "QOC" and "Princess Christmas."

The trademark would have given Carey the legal right to stop others from using the title on music and merchandise.

Carey was given the title "Queen of Christmas" thanks to her 1994 track, All I Want for Christmas Is You, which has become the season's anthem.

Carey's company, Lotion LLC, applied for the trademark last year, which was challenged by singer Elizabeth Chan.

Chan argued that no one person should monopolise Christmas the way that Mariah was seeking to, as the season belongs to everyone.