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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.
There are some days I have to double check myself and make sure I'm not reading the Onion by mistake. Those days seem to be becoming larger in number.
Anyone else think the comments just weren't rendering right before they turned off ABP and saw ads?
.... Toronto should pay. .... In cash. .... In pennies.
The US certainly has a huge number of problems, but it still amazes me that not one thread can go by here without someone karma whoring by inserting a veiled or not so veiled reference that says 'It must be the United State's fault'.
The US Mint has never done anything at all similar. Private companies have, but those are not a Government entity. Let's keep on topic and focus on Canada for once, ok?
1) Under the Berne convention there is no need for copyright notices for works to be protected
2) prior use / art applies to brevets, not to copyright
3) as above
4) well, that could work, but I don't see it as mattering in court
I don't see the mint winning either, at least on the "one cent" phrase; they may have a point on the use of the image of the canadian penny, however.