Talibunny®, Caribou Barbie®, and Iquitarod® Are Still Available

I didn’t realize you can trademark stupid.

seems like a sensible precaution.

@ManchuCandidate: They’re taking the intellectual out of intellectual property.

@ManchuCandidate:
its a service only available to the stupid

@SanFranLefty:
pfft
cotd

I can’t wait for the first infringement suit.

@nojo:
I can see her becoming the new Disney of copyright infringement.

@Capt Howdy: The trademark’s still pending (these things take time), but I’m sorely tempted to create a Sarah Palin®/Bristol Palin® tee just to draw fire.

Question for the Stinque Reference Librarian Squad: Are there other examples (and examples of consequences) of political figures trademarking themselves?

@nojo: No time to do research now, but in general, it’s very difficult to trademark a proper name because there just might be unfortunate individuals out there who share the monikers.

@Mistress Cynica: In my brief experience with trademarks — I actually did one single-handed — you need to declare a category of use. So I can imagine trademarked proper names, properly designated.

Can we trademark Talibunny? No one else out there named that, I’m pretty sure.

@IanJ: Talibunny is a Chainsaw Special, so yes, we could run with it. (It is a major chore, however.) And although we didn’t coin Iquitarod, we happen to own iquitarod.com. Saving it for a Special Moment.

@nojo: From the article:

For Sarah Palin’s application, there are two classes of commercial service for which her name would be a registered trademark. One is for “information about political elections” and “providing a website featuring information about political issues.” The second is for “educational and entertainment services … providing motivational speaking services in the field of politics, culture, business and values.”

The “Bristol Palin” application is for “educational and entertainment services, namely, providing motivational speaking services in the field of life choices.”

However, the patent examiner has sent the applications back asking for more examples of commercial use of these services.

And to answer your original question to the research librarians:

Politicians seldom trademark their name but they might do so to prevent others from using it, for example, to sell shoddy, unapproved merchandise or “official” candidate memorabilia. A search for other political figures such as President Barack Obama and potential 2012 GOP presidential candidates Mike Huckabee, Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney do not show any pending trademark applications. It is a rarity, say trademark attorneys, for political figures to file such forms.

@nojo: Plus that, it costs about $300, if I recall correctly. That’s a lot of hamster pellets there.

@redmanlaw: Yeah, I’m blowing it all on domain whoring.

I will take this to mean she’s not running for president. Instead, she will hit the motivational speaking circuit (does anyone actually get motivated by that shit?) with Bruce Jenner, enlightening people on raise your own fame whores.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Speaking of Bruce Jenner, have you seen the website about men who look like old lesbians?

Has anyone copyrighted “Ronald Fucking Reagan, Our First Zombie President”?

You can’t trademark a person’s name. You also can’t copyright or trademark a title. What you can do is register the name plus treatment as a package: eg the Star Wars logo. I think this is why all movie titles are now quoted complete with treatment. I can’t see how she can make this happen.

@nojo: Iquitarod. Excellent.

@Dodgerblue: No, but I bet it has endless possibilities.

@Dodgerblue: Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman are vying for my faves on that site.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Here’s a good review to get started.

Rick Santorum says if he were president he would eliminate the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals because, he says, “That court is rogue. It’s a pox on the western part of our country.”

“The courts were supposed to be the most insignificant branch of the government.”

Apparently in his next breath “he chastises President Obama for not being deferential enough…to the courts.”

What’s left after you eliminate taxes, the federal government and the rule of law?

I hope it’s ponies. I always wanted one.

@karen marie has her eyes tight shut: Retard Rick always reminds me that Idiocracy was really a documentary.

@karen marie has her eyes tight shut:
it has to be ponies. otherwise where did all the horseshit come from

@Benedick: Ooooh, can you imagine the logo that would accompany Sarah Palin’s name? I think I have an idea for a post….We have some bored graphic designers hanging around here, right?

@nojo: What do you think? Should we run a contest?

@SanFranLefty: Yes, but it should run in parallel with the Talibunny logo contest.

@SanFranLefty: Ooooh, can you imagine the logo that would accompany Sarah Palin’s name?

I’m still sitting on that gun-to-the-head graphic.

@SanFranLefty: I see a dick, antlers, and Russia.

@Capt Howdy: Bingo!

@Mistress Cynica: IIRC, Jenny Sanford applied for a trademark about the time she was flogging her book after her divorce from Mark.

@stickler: No shit? For “Hiking the Appalachian Trail”?