Hopewell Junction family gets rights to Islam symbol

Poughkeepsie Journal ^ | 1/1/04 | Tammy Cilione

[Tim Osman]

HOPEWELL JUNCTION -- The Islamic symbol of the crescent and star has now been patented.

Hopewell Junction attorney Aziz Ahsan and his family took on the task of seeking a patent for the symbol following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Patenting the symbol was Ahsan's attempt to create a positive Muslim identity.

[Tim Osman]

Oh - why didn't I think of this? Think of all the royalties I could have been collecting...

[Billthedrill]

There was a feeling that Muslims had something to do with the attacks...

Yeah. Silly us.

But there might be the germ of a good scam here. I'm thinking of applying for a patent on a symbol of my own - a rectangle with red and white stripes and inside it a rectangular blue field with white stars. I've seen them all over the place and I betcha nobody's got the patent...

[flashbunny]

Must rush in a patent on the cross and star of david tomorrow!

[AlaninSA]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Media Relations

Email: media@despair.com

Web: www.despair.com

Fax: 214.826.1952

They said it couldn't be done, but we did it- we trademarked an emoticon and banned the use of it in email.

ABOVE: Dr. E.L.Kersten, Founder and COO of Despair, Inc., Announces Plans to Sue Millions for Trademark Infringement.

But the international outcry of rage and sorrow was too much even Despair to handle. Hundreds of emails from countries all around the globe have poured in, begging us to reconsider our controversial decision. Even a member of the perpetually cheerful citizenry of America's happiest metropolis, New York, took time to register a dignified complaint through our voicemail. Behind each outcry in every tongue, the same sentiment. An impassioned entreaty to us, that we reconsider our plans to ban the beloved symbol from the Internet.

And to our own shock, we did reconsider. And realized that we had made an enormous mistake in removing this sacred symbol of sorrow from legal Internet circulation.

In an unprecedented reversal of policy, Despair Inc. has announced that it will manufacture and sell legally-approved Frownies to the buying public who desire to continue using them in email.

In our own in-house manufacturing facility, Despair has lovingly hand-crafted three unique models of Frowny(tm) to express a variety of dolorous feelings. And incredibly, each one is compatible with all email clients!

If brevity be the soul of wit, then there's no more clever way to say "I'm miserable" than with a legally-authorized Frowny from Despair Inc! Accept no substitutes!*

[sheik yerbouty]

What about those small wooden buildings in rural areas that have only crescents on them?

[AlaninSA]

[Tim Osman]

No kidding.

I feel I must remind everyone - the name "Islam®™" is a registered trademark of Tim Osman Industries, and 1 billion Muslims each owe me $100 for usage fees.

[Zipporah]

...There was a feeling that Muslims had something to do with the attacks..

Gee I just wonder WHERE we would get that idea.. ?? geesh..

[The Electrician]

This new symbol has both a utility patent, which is in effect for 20 years, and a design patent that's good for 14 years.

Hmmm... I can understand how they got a design patent, but a utility patent? For a symbol? Doesn't sound quite right. A quick search on the inventor's name at www.uspto.gov brought up the design patent but not the utility patent.

[RippleFire]

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