What's next? Trademarking "Bite me?"

[Enchantress]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=st...d_trump_dc

Ok, all that hairpiece glue must have gotten to Donald Trump! He wants to trademark a saying that EVERY EMPLOYER on the planet has used countless times?
I know the guy isn't THAT hard up for cash...he's trying to build a casino in my town!

So, Come on, let's here your take on the rich and the stupid things they do.
:roll:

[Local Hero]

you know these guys.. more money than sense. once a phrase is out there in the ether it belongs to everyone. OK I can see if it is something that is associated to a particular brand and someone else tries to cash in on that you have a case, but not generalised phrases.

[GlennWalker]

Well, the Donald won't be making money every time someone gets the shaft BUT if anyone wants to make a t-shirt or fanny pack with those two words on it, he will be entitled to a piece of the action.

The rulings on these types of things are weird but workable. Like the "Let's get ready to rumble" thing. This is a phrase which at the point of registry could honestly only be attributed to Michael Buffer, hence he got the copyright. It was however altered some years ago to only when he said the phrase.

Over at DC with "Up, up and away" they could not copyright it because by the time they had gotten around to it, it was public domain and had been used in various ways in the media.

Copyright law is bizarre.

Glenn Walker

[Enchantress]

And here I thought it was just all that toupe glue that was causing it!