Sunday, May 15, 2011

Mickey Mouse

Dear Madame L,

Is it true that the Disney people have trademarked "Seal Team 6"? Does that mean they'll start making cartoons and movies with U.S. commandoes wearing night goggles going in to kill bad guys? Does that mean if we want "Seal Team 6" action figures, we'll have to buy them from Disney? Will Mickey and Goofy be involved in any way? 

Seriously (or not),

A Fan


Dear Fan,

Madame L has also read those news items saying the Disney Company applied on May 3, two days after the Navy SEAL team broke into Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan and killed him, for trademark rights to "Seal Team 6." 

The company's three applications would cover "toys, games and playthings," "entertainment and education services," and "clothing footwear and headwear."

Madame L does not know whether the folks at Disney will be awarded those trademark rights.

Madame L does not know anything, either, about the larger legal and cultural implications of the applications and their being awarded or not.

Madame L does wonder, though, how a private company can trademark the name of a U.S. military organization, particularly one whose existence was until recently secret from most of the world. 

And Madame L does not even want to think about kids' night goggles and toy SIG Sauer P226 pistols, jammies with pictures of MH-60 helicopters on them, and so on.

Ugh,
Madame L

1 comment:

AskTheGeologist said...

I think the relevant word to describe this is Chutz-Paw, or sumpin' worser'n that. Some word that combines greed with arrogance and bad taste... I know: WALL STREET!

Hey, there are people trying to copyright YOUR genetic material. Not even their own. This seems topologically equivalent to rape. You can actually go to the US Patent & Trademark Office and voice your opinion about that, but it will probably be ignored. If a hundred people in each district each write their congressman, however, you may get some traction.

In this case, I suspect that the DOD will weigh in at some point.

Let's see, what's a single word that calls to mind "why, slap-your-silly-blood-smeared-lips"?