Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Corporate Arrogance: Disney Moves To Claim Trademark to “Seal Team Six”

Walt Disney Co. (DIS) has applied for a trademark on the name "Seal Team 6," the name of the unit of specially trained Navy SEALs that killed Osama bin Laden in a raid in Pakistan earlier this month.

Three applications filed May 3 — the day after the raid — with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office by Disney Enterprises state an intention to use the mark for a range of products, including entertainment and education services, clothing, toys, games and Christmas stockings.

Companies have tried to trademark combat-related terms before. A day after U.S. allied forces entered Iraq in 2003, Sony applied to trademark the war's catchphrase, "shock and awe," for use as the title of a video game. The application was later abandoned.

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