Hova's company, S. Carter Enterprises, just filed docs to trademark the animated character, "Jaybo." The plan is to plaster the little guy on T-shirts, sweaters, hats, blankets, shams, dinnerware, mugs, cocktail shakers and thermal containers.

Interesting move to commercialize Jaybo, since it's a playoff of Sambo -- the main character from an 1899 children's book that's widely held to be racist due to the illustrations.

Guess you could say Jay-Z's reclaiming the character ... sans Klan outfit.