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Nintendo Seeks To Trademarks "It's On Like Donkey Kong"

Posted by samzenpus on from the language-pitfall dept.

eldavojohn writes "Nintendo has requested a trademark on the phrase 'It's on like Donkey Kong.' The phrase has been used in everything from rap to television in modern culture. From the article: 'The makers of the classic video-game franchise have filed a request with the US Patent and Trademark office to trademark the pop-culture phrase, "It's on like Donkey Kong." Nintendo claims that the catchphrase "is an old, popular Nintendo phrase that has a number of possible interpretations depending on how it's used."'"

7 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. Man... by Haedrian · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...this article is on Like Donkey Kong. (TM)

    1. Re:Man... by Hope+Thelps · · Score: 5, Funny

      "...an adult gorilla's erect penis size is about 4cm in length"

      From Wikipedia [wikipedia.org].

      Who the hell goes around measuring that type of stuff?!

      Insecure gorillas.

      --
      To summarise the summary of the summary: people are a problem. ~ h2g2
  2. Up next.... by girlintraining · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "I Nintendo'd that shit." -- Used to describe an act where you alienate people that previously liked you for a really, really stupid reason.

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    #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
  3. I feel an unfortunate engrish incident coming on.. by Statecraftsman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dear Nintendo,

    Congratulations, your request for trademark of the phrase "It's on rike Donkey Kong" has been approved.

    Sincerely,

    The Trademark Office

  4. Re:I feel an unfortunate engrish incident coming o by argmanah · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dear Nintendo, Congratulations, your request for trademark of the phrase "It's on rike Donkey Kong" has been approved. Sincerely, The Trademark Office

    I find your comment to be lacist.

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    Overrated Moderation: This posts sucks... because.
  5. Identifying a Product by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If "On like Donkey Kong" was a phrase used to market a game that consumers though was the Nintendo property, there might be a case here. That is the only test that is used to determine whether a phrase or symbol infringes a trademark.

    Corporations who frivolously try to grab intellectual "property" like this should have to pay the government fees for using up taxpayer funded resources.

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    make install -not war

  6. Re:Will this pass muster? by Anon-Admin · · Score: 5, Informative

    On the 15 of August 1994, William R. Della Croce, Jr. filed for the trademark Linux, and then demanded royalties from Linux distributors.
    In 1996, Torvalds and some affected organizations sued him to have the trademark assigned to Torvalds, and in 1997 the case was settled.

    There is precedent for trademarking a name after it's use and using it to extort^h^h^h^h^h^h require licensing fees.