IOC Trademarks Part of Canadian National Anthem

gravis777 sends us to BoingBoing for news that the International Olympic Committee has trademarked a line from the Canadian National Anthem and is threatening to sue anyone who uses it. The line in question is "with glowing hearts." "The committee is so serious about protecting the Olympic brand it managed to get a landmark piece of legislation passed in the House of Commons last year that made using certain phrases related to the Games a violation of law. The list includes the number 2010 and the word 'winter,' phrases that normally couldn't be trademarked because they are so general."

Comments

Re:What I have to say...

[illegalcortex]

Considering they passed a special law, prior art really has nothing to do with it. In the US, the Olympics long ago go a heinous law passed that gave them trademark rights on things you couldn't normally trademark. They didn't go so far as the anthem, but you cannot legally put the name "Olympic" in your business. Who cares of the thousands of years of prior art. This came to my attention when they recently forced the band named the Olympic Hopefuls to change. And it was, unfortunately, all very legal of them to do so.

Here's the law:
http://www.inta.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=187&Itemid=59&getcontent=1

Here's a story on the band:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1507047/20050805/index.jhtml

Re:What about the French Version?

[Petrushka]

"Its time for revolution! Viva Quebec!"

"Car ton bras sait porter l'épée", indeed. (But it might be wise to learn to say that in French ... "Vive le Québec", not "viva".)

Re:That's ok

[en.ABCD]

It was actually in the Articles of Confederation (Article XI):

Canada acceding to this confederation, and adjoining in the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this Union; but no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine States.

However, the Articles of Confederation are no longer the law of the land, as they were replaced by the Constitution.

Re:What I have to say...

[ubernostrum]

So in this instance the use of "with glowing hearts" in relation to the olympics.

Not quite. The IOC is not happy with merely controlling use of what they perceive to be their trademarks in relation to the Olympics; they actually seek to control any use, for any reason. For example, the role-playing/card game(s) "Legend of the Five Rings", which takes its name from a Japanese book on dueling published long before the IOC ever existed, was forced to change its visual-identity branding -- even though it had not one single thing to do with the Olympics -- because that branding included five interlocked circles, something over which the IOC claims control in any form and in any context.

Re:That's ok

[innerweb]

Oh, come on! You expect many people to know (let alone believe) that the original did not have the words under god in it? And that it was written by a baptist minister)? You expect too much from the average person! But, they ought to know it anyway. ;-)

InnerWeb

Re:That's ok

[Curtman]

Also try googling "Manifest Destiny". You'll find this at Wikipedia:

Before 1815
During the American Revolution and the early years of independence there were both peaceful and violent attempts to include Canada in the United States. The Revolutionaries hoped French Canadians would join the Thirteen Colonies in the effort to throw off the rule of the British Empire. Canada was invited to send representatives to the Continental Congress, and was pre-approved for joining the United States in the Articles of Confederation. In the Paris peace negotiations, Benjamin Franklin attempted to persuade Britain to cede Canada to the United States. Canada was invaded during the War of Independence, and again during the War of 1812. None of these measures proved successful in bringing Canada onto the side of the Thirteen Colonies.

One more time. IT'S NOT THE IOC!!!

[swordgeek]

Folks, quit lambasting the IOC. They didn't do this. VANOC did. Go after them if you want.

Advice to a lynch mob: Get your facts straight before lighting the torches.