Sarah, Bristol Palin to Get Their Trademarks (to protect their names)

U.S. News ^ | Friday June 17, 2011 | Paul Bedard

[Bigtigermike]

The bids by Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol Palin to trademark their names and images have cleared a major hurdle and should soon be approved for the potential presidential candidate and her Dancing With the Stars child.

Sources close to the process tell our Suzi Parker that nobody challenged Sarah Palin's trademark application. Today is the deadline to do so. They also say that Bristol Palin's went unchallenged. That deadline passed June 10.

Each should receive their trademark within three months, said the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The clear sailing for both Palins is something of a surprise considering the attention they draw from detractors.

According to both applications, the Palins wanted to make sure that only they could use their names, especially in political circles.

According to Sarah Palin's application, printed below, she wants to protect her name, or "mark," for business and advertising purposes, political elections, entertainment services and for "providing motivational speaking services in the field of politics."

[Will88]

My main point in all this drawn out conversation was that a presidential candidate or a sitting president would probably gain little or nothing by having their name and image trademarked. They are such public figures that I’d be interested in someone citing statutes that describe what benefits they’d have by being trademarked while acting as a candidate or as president.

There are also laws and traditions that restrict what sitting presidents can do. After they’re out of office it might have some benefit, but I even wonder about that. They are then historical figures.

And would a trademark be granted for the name and image of a sitting or former president?

[9YearLurker]

Yes, I understood that to be your point.

Of course, we’re not expecting Bristol to become a sitting president. All has to work out well for Sarah to become one too. I’m not sure but that she may have applied for it in that time post ‘blood libel’ when she was leaning against running for the presidency, though obviously she has asked for some sort of coverage during campaigns to be included as well. Doesn’t look like she was asking for coverage related to holding the presidency, however.

[Will88]

Doesn’t look like she was asking for coverage related to holding the presidency, however.

This finally gets down to practical questions like: can I print up a bunch of Reagan, Clinton and Obama t-shirts and sell them for a profit? And would the patent office issue those individuals trademark protection that would prevent me from doing it without paying royalties?

Could I print up a bunch of t-shirts with several of my favorite GOP candidates for 2012 on it? Could any of them hold a trademark that would prevent me from doing that without paying royalties?

I doubt those questions have been answered in law.