Melbourne trust applies for trademark for ‘Charlie Hebdo’ and ‘je suis Charlie’ in Australia
Je suis Charlie has become a global symbol for free speech since last week’s attacks
A Melbourne family trust has applied to trademark the phrases ‘Charlie Hebdo’ and ‘je suis Charlie’ in Australia, just a week after 12 people were killed in an attack on the offices of the French satirical magazine.
The M&G Besser Family Trust’s claim for the phrase Je Suis Charlie covers ‘electronic desktop publishing; Magazine publishing; Publishing by electronic means; Publishing of books; Publishing of printed matter’ whilst the Charlie Hebdo claim covers clothing.
Je suis Charlie became a social media phenomenon for people showing support to those murdered in the raid, and has since become an unofficial shorthand for support of free speech.
If successful the trust, which is registered to a residential street in Toorak, Melbourne, could then stop others from using the phrases, or charge a licence to do so, across clothing and electronic media.In the US attempts by individuals to trademark social trends including Occupy Wall Street, Boston Strong, I can’t breathe and Hands up don’t shoot have all failed because they do not considered identifiers for a single source or product.
A piece in Wired published the day after the Charlie Hebdo attack entitled ‘Some idiot will probably try to trademark #JeSuisCharlie. It won’t work’ explains why those other applications had failed.
An application for the phrase #illridewithyou, which trended globally after the Sydney siege in December, which was lodged by Ken Issa from Mt Kiera in NSW and covers things like bumper stickers, wristbands and badges is also still under consideration by IP Australia.
Alex Hayes
f++k that noise
Technical legal hairsplitting I know, but what they’ve applied for is the trade mark, not the copyright.
Copyright is generally owned by the person who created the copyrighted material, and doesn’t need to be registered. That is, you don’t ‘apply’ for copyright as such.
Just a technical point – they have applied for a trade mark, not for copyright. They are entirely different forms of intellectual property.
These people are disgusting.
Hi Adam and Kay,
Thanks for clearing that up – changed now.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
Hmmmm…I think the words I’m look for are “You Greedy sick bastards”
time to start a new hashtag – #stoptrademarkcreeps
Ironic
Capitalism of the highest order – it’s sick and insulting.
And as the French would say ‘salauds’
Identify them, shame them, shun them.
So that is what M & C Besser Family Trust was thinking as they watched the terrorist attack, the French carry “Je Suis Charlie’ signs on everything, the funerals, the massive March….” wow, we could grab that and make money”. Yee ha, we are so clever”, well there is one thing for certain there will NEVER be a ” Je suis Besser”.
SHAME. SHAME.
HOW CAN YOU DARE TO COMMERCIALLY BENEFIT FROM THE DEATH OF 16 MURDERED PEOPLE ? This is shocking. But they are not alone. It was reported on ANTENNE 2 yesterday that a company made a trademark application for JE SUIS CHARLIE in the category of weapons and ammunition.
It’s “The Trustee for THE M & G BESSER FAMILY TRUST” on Trademark app 1668521
It says here: http://www.business.com.au/the.....ily-trust/ that the Bessers are funeral directors.
I think that you’ll find that it is the M&G Besser. You’d have to wonder what use a company specializing in “Funeral, Crematorium & Cemetery Services” would have for these names. It’s a strange world.
Maybe they are using the words in a completely dissimilar context altogether. As Steve Martin once said, “Boy, those French. They have a different word for everything.”
What sort of person seeks to prevent, restrict or profit from others’ wish to grieve, to stand by others who are grieving or to show support for freedom of speech? Sick almost beyond belief.
I guess as funeral directors they are comfortable with profiting from death :p
Disgustingly opportunistic. A bit like asking for a million bucks to tell your story on TV after being a hostage in a siege situation.
Before you all jump to a conclusion, how do we know that these trademark applications were made for commercial purposes? Perhaps they have registered them as a blocking move to prevent someone from commercialising these terms? Perhaps they are looking to commercialise but, one would hope with the consent of the families of the victims, to donate all profits to the families or a suitable charity.
You may all be correct and this could be, to put mildly, with unsavoury intent but unless someone has actually spoken to representatives of the M&G Besser Family Trust then their intent is merely speculation.
M&C Besser Family Trust: Je suis malade.
the antisemitic comments by some of the commentators is to be expected with the stereotypes that come with the territory but Mumbrella you need to be a bit sharper with moderating this page (comment 6 in particular)…
It seems the Bessers like to take some [Edited by Mumbrella] off other taxpayers having copped more than $43,000 in government grants “For visits to established or potential overseas markets”
http://www.australiangovernmen.....as-markets
Lucky they have some government grants to help them along.
M&G Besser Government Grants
$43,362 – For visits to established or potential overseas markets
$22,765 – To engage a consultant to establish opportunities
$5,306 – To defray the cost of providing free samples to promote exports
http://www.australiangovernmen.....&y=14
There’s no shame in their game. Scum of the earth. To capitalise off something as tragic as this is _____________. Fill the gap. Immoral, unethical, rank, mildly sadistic, RUBBISH…. are a few things that spring to mind. I’m ashamed to walk this plant in the company of people like this.
shai, anti-semitic? i don’t think anyone is criticising the bessers for being semites – i don’t have any idea if they are semites or not, and couldn’t care less.
greed is greed, profiteering off tragedy is just what it is. methinks you protest too much.
Perfect example of why the world is really fcked up right now
no you are right 1200, Maria Schicklgruber (comment 6) just happens to have the same name as Hitler’s grandma….coincidence.
I am not condoning this behavior, no one should ever profit from tragedy.
I am also not jumping to conclusions and hoping that a comment from the family is forthcoming and that Mumbrella has sought one before publishing this article.
There’s always just one more mercenary a-hole….
What a world!?
Charlie Hebdo upped their circ from 60,000 to 1,000,000 for the issue following the tragedy so I guess there is money to be made.
M&C Besser Family Trust: Je suis consterné par ce mercantilisme grossier
Methinks someone associated with the Besser Family (Trust?) is going seriously to regret putting his/her greedy head above the parapet.
And ain’t that a shame!
M&C incorrect, should read M&G. http://www.business.com.au states: the Trustee for the M & G Besser Family Trust is based in Toorak, VIC and specialises in Funeral, Crematorium & Cemetery Services.
M&C Besser…… You dont sound like you need the money, what the hell is your problem?