Commercial use of the Medal of Honor (likeness ?)

trulineint.com ^ | 12-6-06

[SJackson]

Commercial use of the Medal of Honor (likeness ?)

Key Words: Bad

Article Source: Squantos

The accused.....

The law.....

The Medal of Honor is the only service decoration that is singled out in federal law to protect it from being imitated or privately sold. All Medals of Honor are issued in the original only, by the Department of Defense, to a recipient. Misuse of the medal, including unauthorized manufacture or wear, is punishable by fine and imprisonment pursuant to (18 U.S.C. § 704)(b), which prescribes a harsher penalty than that for violations concerning other medals.[4] After the Army redesigned their medal in 1903, a patent was issued (United States Patent #D37,236) to legally prevent others from making the medal. When the patent expired, the Federal government enacted a law making it illegal to produce, wear, or distribute the Medal of Honor without proper authority. Violators of this law have been prosecuted. In 2003 Edward and Gisela Fedora were charged with violating (18 U.S.C. § 704)(b) - Unlawful Sale of a Medal of Honor. They sold medals awarded to U.S. Navy Seaman Robert Blume (for action during the Spanish-American War) and to U.S. Army First Sergeant George Washington Roosevelt (for action during the Civil War) to an FBI agent.[40] Edward Fedora, a Canadian businessman,[41] pled guilty and was sentenced to prison;[42] Gisela Fedora's status is unknown. Under United States Code, (18 U.S.C. § 704)(b), it is illegal to wear the Medal of Honor without authorization, but one can still legally claim to be a recipient unless such a claim is made with the intent of securing veteran benefits. A number of veterans' organizations and private companies devote themselves to exposing those who falsely claim to have won the Medal of Honor.[43] Imposters are said to outnumber true Medal of Honor recipients. HLI Lordship Industries Inc., a former Medal of Honor contractor, was fined in 1996 for selling 300 fake Medals for $75 each.[44]

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Cruising down the Interstate I found this logo on the the side of a trucking firms trailer.......I found it less than pleasing to me as a Vet to see the Medal Of Honor's likeness to be used in such a manner.........

I think such "commercial" use of the MOH likeness as a copy is illegal and in bad taste.......Something I should pursue or is it legal ?

Comments needed before I get froggy on what I think is a violation. Intent aside, disrespect is present IMO.........

 

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http://www.honortruck.com/

Home Services Technical Information Feedback / Quote Contact Us

Welcome to Honor Truck & Transfer “Honor Truck & Transfer honors its commitment to customers” Honor Truck & Transfer is a customer focused, quality driven company providing a full range of transportation and warehousing services to link and complete your logistics supply chain. Our experienced staff is committed to your success, whether it be in Import/Export, Long Haul, Short Haul, Local trucking, Intermodal rail, warehousing, and distribution. Please review our services page for a complete listing of what we have to offer. For an immediate response to your shipping needs, please visit our Contact Us page or call 562-435-8555

[SJackson]

The President, in the name of Congress, has awarded more than 3,400 Medals of Honor to our nation's bravest Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen since the decoration's creation in 1861.

For years, the citations highlighting these acts of bravery and heroism resided in dusty archives and only sporadically were printed. In 1973, the U.S. Senate ordered the citations compiled and printed as Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973). This book was later updated and reprinted in 1979. The breakdown of these is a duplicate of that in the congressional compilation. Likewise, some minor misspelling and other errors are duplicated from the official government volume. These likely were the result of the original transcriptions. The following is an index of the full-text files by war.

Full-Text Citations Civil War (A-L) Civil War (M-Z) Indian War Campaigns Interim 1866-1870 1871 Korean Campaign Interim 1871-1898 War with Spain Philippine Insurrection China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion) Interim 1901-1911 Action Against Outlaws--Philippines 1911 Mexican Campaign (Vera Cruz) Haiti 1915 Interim 1915-16 Dominican Campaign World War I Haiti Campaign 1919-1920 Second Nicaraguan Campaign Interim 1920-1940 World War II (A-F) World War II (G-L) World War II (M-S) World War II (T-Z) Korean War Vietnam (A-L) Vietnam (M-Z) Somalia Iraq Special Legislation

Additional Information Medal of Honor Statistics  A Brief History of the Medal of Honor DOD Medal of Honor Bibliography SPECIAL AWARDS World War II Black Medal of Honor Recipients  Asian-Pacific Americans Receive Medals of Honor *N.B. An asterisk in the citation indicates that the award was given posthumously.

 

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	Return to CMH Online
	Last updated 9 May 2005

 

Security and Privacy

 

[SandRat]

Contact the DoD Inspector General http://www.dodig.osd.mil/

Contact the DoD Office of the General Counsel - Legal Counsel http://www.dod.mil/dodgc/lc/

and turn them in let's see if the Pajamahadeen can make their life a little more interesting.

[jimtorr]

Definite bad taste, but I don't know if the likeness is close enough for legal action.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

It's pretty obviously NOT the Medal of Honor, assuming that one has enough brains to walk and chew gum at the same time.

Of course, in today's America, that's not the way to bet. :)

[Cagey]

I understand your concern and agree that something is not right here. I somehow doubt their intent is to honor Medal of Honor recipients.


I see they are located in California and here is a listing of their directors:

Administration:

Ali Nikkhoo President (562) 572-8712
Robert Livingston VP Operations (562) 572-9029
Mehdi Djamshidi Finance & Accounting (562) 572-7819
Fernando Martinez Admin. Supervisor (562) 572-4328

[Freedom4US]

It's in poor taste, as well as coupled with their name e.g. "Honor". It's reasonably close facsimile and should be prohibited, just because.

[sgtbono2002]

Wouldnt it be great if we protected our flag the same way?

[FLOutdoorsman]

Reminds me of people using the Flag, by wrapping it up into advertising and sales. Big no no. And against the Law in DC.

'§ 3. Use of flag for advertising purposes; mutilation of flag
Any person who, within the District of Columbia, in any manner, for exhibition or display, shall place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing, or any advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America; or shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign upon which shall have been printed, painted, or otherwise placed, or to which shall be attached, appended, affixed, or annexed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, or drawing, or any advertisement of any nature; or who, within the District of Columbia, shall manufacture, sell, expose for sale, or to public view, or give away or have in possession for sale, or to be given away or for use for any purpose, any article or substance being an article of merchandise, or a receptacle for merchandise or article or thing for carrying or transporting merchandise, upon which shall have been printed, painted, attached, or otherwise placed a representation of any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign, to advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark, or distinguish the article or substance on which so placed shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $100 or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, in the discretion of the court. The words 'flag, standard, colors, or ensign', as used herein, shall include any flag, standard, colors, ensign, or any picture or representation of either, or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance or represented on any substance, of any size evidently purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America or a picture or a representation of either, upon which shall be shown the colors, the stars and the stripes, in any number of either thereof, or of any part or parts of either, by which the average person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of the United States of America.'

http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html

[FLOutdoorsman]

We do.

See #8

[AF_Blue]

A civil letter to the company's administration stating your observation of the usage and concern of likeness, and some choice quotes from the applicable USC, would be more than appropriate. Be sure to get signature confirmation for receipt of the letter. Tends to let the recipient know you're serious about the matter.

Nice post.

[patton]

Oh, lookey here.

[Larry Lucido]

Bump

[Larry Lucido]

.

[TeflonSlinky]

I actually did that first - below is my letter and Mr. Ali's gracious reply:

+++++++
Mr. Nikkhoo,

As a US Combat Veteran, I find your use of our nation’s highest military award as a company logo to be in offensively poor taste at the very least, and quite possibly illegal. This is an issue that has not escaped the notice of a number of my compatriots, and we are in agreement that you could better represent the integrity and honor symbolized by the Medal of Honor by electing to change your logo.


I thank you for your time and your attention to this matter.

And his reply:

For your information my partner is also a combat veteran who chose this logo in 1997. He has served in vietnam .
In all honesty you should mind your own business and don't question our patriotism..
Ali Nikkhoo
President Honor Truck
562-435-8555

[GreenLanternCorps]

Ali Nikkhoo is a first class jerk. He could have defended is usage of the symbol a LOT more politely.

If I were a shipper I would not use him EVER. Not on the basis of the logo, but because someone like that is not professional and it not likely to run a professional organization. For all he knows, you are a potential customer, and he just told you to take a hike.

I'd reply back and tell him that because he is so rude, you'll tell everyone you know who might ship stuff to never use his company. Carbon copy the other senior management too.

Idiot.

[Bob]

In all honesty you should mind your own business and don't question our patriotism..

Must be a dimocRAT - I didn't see how anything in your letter could be construed as 'questioning their patriotism'.

[patton]

Ping

[sit-rep]

forget it patton. we try'd....