Via Newsday:
Robert Maresca, 44, and his wife, Diane, of West Islip, have filed to trademark the name of the movement responsible for the more than monthlong protest in lower Manhattan, and in other cities in the United States and around the world.
Robert Maresca claims that he is a OWS supporter, and is only interested in helping to spread the movement's populist message via the sale of clothing and couture bearing an OWS-themed logo.
Maresca and his wife have paid almost a thousand dollars in filing fees in their attempt to corner the market in OWS handbags, glasses and t-shirts.
Participants in the OWS movement are not amused:
"We are not surprised, as everyone is trying to hijack or co-opt the movement," they said. "Unfortunately this is another example of taking the blood, sweat and tears of the creators . . . and exploiting them for financial gain."
It's possible that this is just a poorly-thought out path to trying to grow the movement, but typically a trademark application is submitted in order to ensure exclusive ownership of a particular logo or slogan.
In any event, the couple's attempts appear to be doomed to failure:
The couple faces an uphill battle to win the trademark, said Melville patent attorney Gerald Bodner of the law firm Bodner & O'Rourke.
"Maybe nobody can get it," Bodner said. "It's already well-known. It's in use. It's become almost part of the public domain."
Read the article:
http://www.newsday.com/...
