VANOC trademarks "with glowing hearts"

G&M : "Earlier this month, VANOC quietly applied to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office for trademark rights to the phrase "with glowing hearts," part of the well-known refrain in O Canada: "With glowing hearts we see thee rise, the true North strong and free."

Presumably the phrase will be added to their previously trademarked "winter, gold, silver, bronze, sponsor, Vancouver, Whistler, 2010, tenth, medals, and games", all of which are off-limits to businesses which have not paid for the privilege of becoming a Five Ring Circus sponsor.

So if you were just about to launch "Laundry Bleach With Glowing Hearts", or "With Glowing Hearts Diesel Fuel", or "Dietary Supplements With Glowing Hearts and Edible Fats", you're shit out of luck.
Ditto : "With Glowing Hearts Beer, Blogs, and Bathrobes"

I'm already starting to regret missing out on that last one.

Cross-posted at Creekside

Would Jesus™ approve?

That, is a religious icon of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, (Mormons). It is a depiction of the angel Moroni who, according to Joseph Smith, Jr., appeared during the night of 21 September, 1823. There is no indication that Smith had been eating mushrooms earlier in the evening. Moroni, according to Smith, appeared around 20 times in the next six years. Still, no mention of mushrooms in Smith's testimony.

Today, this report surfaced:

For a coffee shop, T-shirts of a Mormon angel with java flowing into his trumpet are selling well. But they don't have the blessing of religious leaders.

The shirts have upset the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Not only is the angel Moroni a revered figure -- Mormons believe he appeared to church founder Joseph Smith -- but church members are discouraged from drinking coffee.

The shirts show Moroni, a male figure in a robe blowing a trumpet. The trumpet is turned up at an angle as coffee is poured in.

"They've been the best-selling T-shirts we've ever done," said Just Add Coffee co-owner Ed Beazer.

The church informed Beazer that the angel's image is a registered trademark.

Excuse me?

How can a religious group take a mythical image, (which the believers believe is real), which the LDS say represents the angel revealed in Revelations 14: 6 and register it as a trademark? That's, you know, like a marketing thing. As in a "business".

Organizations which register trademarks usually pay taxes.

(H/T Hairy Fish Nuts)

What's in a name?

Probably a lot if you are a part of a group which has been around for over 12 years and have established roots in the province. Ecotrust Canada is rightfully miffed that Canada's "New" government was apparently too lazy, too rushed or too incompetent to do due diligence on a name search when they re-invented the former Liberal eco package. The name the Conservatives are using? Eco Trust Canada.

So, let's see here. The CPoC killed the previous government's environmental package and funding. Suddenly, when Harper and crew realized that the Canadian public placed environmental concerns right at the top of their "concerns" list, the CPoC repackages the Liberal plan and presents it as their own. Then, visualizing an oncoming D9 bulldozer with George Bush in the cab, otherwise known as a very skeptical Canadian public, the CPoC, without searching the name, steals a name from a well-established environmental group.

As Ecotrust Canada's president Ian Gill says, that is a trademark violation in this country, even if the trademark isn't registered. In fact, Ecotrust Canada is a registered charity with a Canadian business number! They're really, really easy to find on a government publicly accessible directory in under one minute... without leaving your computer.

Note to Harper: At least try to show some competence. Next time... use Teh Google.

What a bunch of morons.