Government officials have rejected a Florida man's bid to trademark the term "Obama bin Laden," ruling that the conflation of the names of a U.S. Senator and the world's leading terrorist was "scandalous" and wrongly suggested a connection between the politician and the mass murderer. In a February 6 decision, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office attorney Karen K. Bush informed applicant Alexandre Batlle of her decision not to register the trademark. A copy of Bush's notice can be found below. Last month, Batlle, a 28-year-old Miami Beach resident,
filed an application to trademark the term for use on hats, shirts, pins, and bumper stickers. Along with citing Trademark Act sections dealing with "scandalous refusal" and "false association," Bush noted that the application was also refused because "the record does not include the written consent of Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden, the names of the living individuals identified in the proposed mark." Batlle, who paid $325 to file his trademark application, told TSG that he does not plan to appeal the USPTO decision, adding that he wanted to use the "Obama bin Laden" handle to "make a quick buck." Batlle, who described himself as "more of a Democrat myself," planned to sell t-shirts through obamabinladen.net, which he registered on January 19, the same day he filed his trademark application. Batlle
shared with TSG artwork for one shirt, which features Obama carrying an assault rifle and wearing a turban. The Illinois Democrat is accompanied by Hillary Clinton, who appears to be leashed and wearing a modified burqa.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0213071obama1.html
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