The Revolution Will Not Be Infringed Upon: Long Island Couple Files To Trademark 'Occupy Wall St.'

from the sticking-it-to-the-man-via-the-proper-channels dept

In a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) application, Robert and Diane Maresca are seeking to trademark the phrase "Occupy Wall St." so that they can place it on a wide variety of goods, including bumper stickers, shirts, beach bags, footwear, umbrellas, and hobo bags.

Asked if his move to stake a legal claim to "Occupy Wall Street" might be seen as a crass attempt to cash in on a movement that has a harsh view of corporations and capitalism, Maresca answered, “No.” Noting that he has a "practical business side," Maresca added that, "If I didn’t buy it and use it someone else will."

Maresca said that he has visited the Wall Street protest site on several occasions and believes that corporations have too much influence on elected officials.

While he has yet to mass produce any “Occupy Wall Street” product, Maresca said that he has inked some t-shirts with magic markers.

Wall Street blog extraordinaire, Dealbreaker, alerts us to the perhaps unsurprising news that a Long Island couple has filed for a trademark on the phrase "Occupy Wall Street." ( More in-depth information , including the filing, over at The Smoking Gun.):While there's something to be said for striking while the iron is hot, some very ugly backlash from actual Wall Street occupiers is pretty much guaranteed. If there's one thing protesters of a financial system hate (and it's by no means thething), it's having their dissent sold back to them. This possibility did cross the Marescas' minds, but it has all been safely rationalized away:Of course: the I'm-not-the-only-one-with-a-horribly-crass-idea defense. Maresca has a point, though. Someone else. In fact, a Brooklyn man has already filed a trademark request for "We Are the 99%." Of course, this Brooklynite can always add "44/100" to his T-shirts and sell them to Procter & Gamble, should this occupation suddenly end. Maresca's phrase has no "out," if you will, but he won't let that keep his growth industry down. After all, he's got two things going for him;authenticity:and school supplies:That, my friends, is how you carpe the hell out of the diem. Now there's nothing left to do but sit back and wait for the backlash/C&Ds to start flying.

Filed Under: occupy wall street, trademark