Currently trademarked slogans such as 'Uppity Negro'...could lose their protections...
Posted on 06/23/2014 6:15:20 AM PDT by don-o
Law professor Jonathan Turley questions the U.S. Patent Office's decision to rescind trademark protection for the Washington Redskins. While the move pleased many activists and politicians, Turley asks in a Washington Post article Sunday, is such social activism on the part of a federal agency really a good idea?
"As federal agencies have grown in size and scope, they have increasingly viewed their regulatory functions as powers to reward or punish citizens and groups," Turley writes. "There is an obvious problem when the sanctioning of free exercise of religion or speech becomes a matter of discretionary agency action."
In Turley's view, some trademarks are protected not because of any inherent free speech rights, but simply because no one has yet challenged them. "Currently trademarked slogans such as 'Uppity Negro' and 'You Can’t Make A Housewife Out Of A Whore' could lose their protections," he writes, "despite the social and political meaning they hold for their creators."
That's an understatement. It is, in fact, easy to find a multitude of potentially problematic trademarks. Indeed, a stroll through the Patent Office's Trademark Electronic Search System is a lesson in the remarkable diversity of trademark-protected names -- names that some Americans might well find offensive.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
How come all the “crazy bi*^chs” aren’t offended?
It’s obvious what happened. The big guy has turned the irs, the fbi, the doj into his private playthings. And now it’s the patent office.
I remember criticism towards the XFL (football) team in Memphis called the Maniax. People said it maligned the mentally ill.
The Federal bureaucracy has become completely politicized. Someone needs to clean house.
How can a nondescript word mark all of the sudden become invalid? Shouldn’t a TM protect against such divisive, political manipulation?
Does the U.S. Patent Office have a SWAT team?
“How come all the “crazy bi*^chs” aren’t offended?”
I am! Very! Outraged! Discriminated against in the name of all other crazy bi**chs in the U.S.
I’ve been called that so much, I answer to it. I DO have standing.
Where do I sign?
*Does this include a cash payout?
**Am I entitled to any settlement?
***What about book deals?
What, “War on Women”?
And 'You can lead a whore to culture but you can't make her think'
are the b8ches complaining?
What if they hate sugary drinks and decide to rescind the trademark for CocaCola or Pepsi.
What if they decide to rescind the trademark for Mobil Oil because they don’t like the fact that they don’t support the Homosexual agenda?
Currently trademarked slogans such as 'Uppity Negro'...could lose their protections...
Probably.
It seems like every other federal agency has one.
And even if they don’t have their own, they can always use the Department of Commerce’s.
How about:
throw rocks at boys t-shirts?
every rap song...
“pinp” imagry
blacksploitation, mexsploitation, and a who host of “sploitation” films?
I disagree with the author on one point - what the govt is engaging in is not social activism, it is religion! They want to determine the morality and spirituality of this country and make sure it conforms to the fascist jackboot liberalism. No dissent or deviation allowed.
“pimp”
IP is nothing but a license to sue, and be sued.
Regardless of any book deals, much like the hildebeast (speaking of CB’s), you’ll come out of it broke and in debt. :>}
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