Slashdot Mirror
Disney Seeks Trademark On 'Seal Team 6'
The Grim Reefer2 writes "MediaBistro has learned that the Walt Disney Company has applied for a trademark on the phrase 'Seal Team 6,' the name of the special forces unit that killed the world's most wanted man. Disney now owns the exclusive rights to put Seal Team 6 on 'clothing, footwear, headwear, toys, games and entertainment and education services.' Disney made the move only two days after bin Laden's death was announced."
According to a report in the Orlando Sentinel, "this is not the first time a company has trademarked SEAL Team 6. Previous owner NovaLogic, Inc., abandoned two associated trademarks in 2006. Those trademarks focused on computer and video gaming."
Technically, there is no current unit called "SEAL Team 6". The unit formerly known by that name is now the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, AKA DEVGRU. Further, as DEVGRU is a Tier One Special Operations Force (the other one being Delta Force), they may not officially exist, in that no official records of them are kept. Finally, some sources are saying that the unit has been yet again renamed, this time to something classified. Thus, Disney (and anyone else, probably) could register a trademark on the name, and DoD wouldn't object (as they seem surprisingly versed in the Streisand Effect).
actually, the Disney capability of running trademarks and copyrights forever, and purchasing laws to enable this is standard slashdot fare.
This is clearly appropriate for Slashdot since it's an intellectual property thing. And why on Earth would you think military stories have a place on Slashdot? Yikes.
Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
"I’m also somewhat surprised that a global firm with such an obsession for it’s public image as Disney would do something as unilaterally endorsing as promoting a single nation’s military."
Considering that Disney created propaganda films for the US Gov't during WWII and Walt was one of the most fervent supporters of Joseph McCarthy, this move is actually very much in line with Disney's track record.
The team should take that from Disney, this is just beyond insulting and disgraceful. Disney should be ashamed of themselves for profiting off of the actions of our elite special forces.
Disney copyright lawyers.
I eat only the real part of complex carbohydrates.
Mickey has grown into a very bad rat. I would recommend warfarin.
Exactly. All the technicalities, renamings, and classification levels aside Disney is legal whoring for fame and market share on the backs of folks who put their lives at risk. While technically and legally this may be ok, morally it's travesty and one only hopes that the word gets out and Disney gets some immediate boycott action for this one due to their timing and desire to profit off of the heroism some and deaths of others. That said assuming it doesn't, if they're smart they'll wait until any immediate press dies down and release something under the trademark in a few years when they benefit from the collective memory of the event without the immediacy of their whoring being apparent. Did I mention they were effective whores?
It'll all be part of the new Abbottabad Pavilion at Epcot Center. Osama bin Laden will be executed twice Sunday-Thursday, 4 times Friday-Saturday. Following the assault reenactment, dead Osama and Seal Team Six will take pictures and watch porn with the kids.
Failure to follow this advice may result in non-deterministic behavior.
Seal Team Six
We are no Micky Mouse operation!
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
actually, the Disney capability of running trademarks and copyrights forever, and purchasing laws to enable this is standard slashdot fare.
Indeed, Disney's well known from taking from the public domain only to permanently copyright the result so as to never give back.
Trademarking "Seal Team Six" is just more of the same, but easier for the hoi polloi to identify as dirty pool.
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
It's not about pride, it's about cashing in, or preventing a rival from cashing in, or both. We saw that last week when Karl Rove went on the air criticizing Obama for taking credit for the work of the SEALs, then going on to brag that he had a "personal relationship" (yuck) with some members of SEAL Team Six. Disney is just as unseemly but predictable here.
In any case, I haven't heard anybody official claim Osama was "accidentally killed". Nor have I seen any explanation of the orders and rules of engagement the commando team was operating under. Nor have we any idea whether the man who shot Osama was following those orders. Not that orders excuse anything, but they can shed light on a thing. For example, if the orders were, "kill, even if he surrenders," then I think everyone involved would be guilty of murder. But we have no reason to believe that. I do think the orders with respect to killing Osama should be made public; the fact that they haven't make me think that either (a) they would cause diplomatic or political problems or (b) they weren't followed correctly but nobody wants to deal with that.
The SEAL who shot certainly showed presence of mind in wounding Osama's wife rather than killing her, but I wouldn't ask anyone to put his life at risk for Osama, no matter how small that risk was. Not unless he had put himself in our custody. So if the orders came down to "... if he doesn't surrender immediately, shoot him," I'd be completely OK with that.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Disney has not done something this unconscionable since they closed the "Gurgi's Treats and Eats" food pavilion in the Magic Kingdom in the 1990s.
The cauldron grows blacker.
There are no karma whores, only moderation johns
Quite so. Even if this unit doesn't exit, the SEALs in general are a part of the US Navy. Disney shouldn't be able to exert ownership rights over something like that. They should get slapped down by the relevant authorities with a big fat "You don't own that!" sort of response.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Bad ass septuagenarian mutherfucker
He'd still kick your ass.
Forget thrust, drag, lift and weight. Airplanes fly because of money.
Applying for a trademark is the process of claiming ownership. Nobody has ever applied for a trademark on something they own, because until that trademark is granted, they don't own it. As for how they can apply for a trademark they don't currently use, that's pretty frequent. You generally establish those things before you pour millions of dollars into promoting something that could be ripped out of your hands.
None of which excuses Disney's behavior in this particular instance, but the general case is fairly reasonable.
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
Is that the same thing Disney would say if someone came out with a Mickey Mouse FPS character?
I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog