Canadian Mint Claims Rights To Words "One Cent"

knorthern knight writes "A weird intersection of copyright/trademark with politics is playing out in Canada. Short background: various Canadian cities and municipalities have launched a publicity/lobbying campaign seeking a fixed take from the GST (Goods and Services Tax, a national Canadian sales tax similar to European VAT). The amount sought is 1 cent for each dollar of the purchase price. This is summarized by the slogan 'One Cent of the GST NOW.' According to a press release, the Royal Canadian Mint (the federal agency that prints Canadian paper currency and stamps Canadian coins) has demanded from the City of Toronto $47,680 in royalties for use of the phrase 'one cent', and the image of the Canadian penny. $10,000 covers the use of the words 'one cent' in the campaign website address (www.onecentnow.ca) and email address (onecentnow@toronto.ca). An additional $10,000 is demanded for the use of these words in the campaign phone number (416-ONE-CENT). The remaining $27,680 covers the use of the image of the Canadian penny in printed materials such as pins and posters." Here's a National Post article on the brouhaha.

Comments

My two cents

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh shit...

Re:My two cents

[somersault]

I hope 50 Cent doesn't try selling music in Canada, or he's screwed.

first we need to clarify

[edittard]

Is that one cent, or point zero one of a cent?

Re:first we need to clarify

[youthoftoday]

Um, sir, can't you see they're the same thing? I see no problem there.

Parity with US$ has gone to their heads!

[jcc]

Loonies!

this could happen..

[Anonymous Coward]

..only in America.

Re:Southern Inspiration

[Jaxoreth]

Canadians can't stand for this. We have to stamp the crazy out now

Why? Is it replacing the loony?

Re:If they get through with this ....

[tgd]

That makes a lot of cents.

AHA! Aboot time!

[db32]

Take that you smug little bastards! You sit up there all pointing and laughing at how insane the IP system has gotten in the US... HAH! Welcome to the new world, not so smug now eh? One Cent...holy crap... And its not even some profit mongering megacorp up there, its your freakin federal agency suing the city. On top of that the irony involved in the fact that the whole thing is about trying to get 'one cent' out of the tax, and the government response is to charge them for asking for it! Aaaahahahahahaa. Now maybe you won't be so damned smug when stupid shit happens here down south of you.