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The problem is the hypocrisy. Every other organization in the U.S. can trademark their name, but only in their industry. The USOC does not sell gyros, meat, win
by chimi 14y ago
The problem is the hypocrisy. Every other organization in the U.S. can trademark their name, but only in their industry. The USOC does not sell gyros, meat, wine or movies.
I really would like to know how this organization has gotten so much power.
EDIT: I'm curious how this paint company has kept the name:
http://www.olympic.com/ http://www.olympic.com/ Were they granted the trademark earlier? Plus the paint brush is a play on the torch. They have the domain name, so someone at the usoc must have seen them.
- emarcotte 14y agoI think it probably has something do with this: But in its email, the organization emphasized the need to "protect the rights of companies who financially support the U.S. Olympic Team," such as McDonald's and Coca-Cola."
- thisisblurry 14y agoRe: Olympic paint - towards the end of the article, they refer to a grandfather clause for names established before 1978.
- jack-r-abbit 14y agoThe article says: A grandfather clause allows businesses named before 1978, like Olympic Paints, to keep the name
- wiredfool 14y agoOr mountains for that matter. It would have been a trademark mess if Seattle had ever gotten the games. According to the article, Olympic Paints were grandfathered in, as they were using the name prior to 1978.
- rprasad 14y agoTwo possible reasons: 1) Grandfather clause for businesses using "Olympic" at the time the name was passed; and 2) Geographic exception for businesses within a certain distance of the Olympic mountains in Washington, but only within the state of Washington.
- larrys 14y ago"how this organization has gotten so much power." Some how congress has seen that the US Olympics are a source of national pride and a treasure to be protected by an act for the good of everyone. This is way more than trademark protection. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2010-title36/html/USCODE-2010-title36-subtitleII-partB-chap2205-subchapI-sec220506.htm http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2010-title36/html/USCODE... While I'm sure it's been done in other places the only other case I know of is something similar with the Red Cross. In contrast, in years past, I was able to use the words "IRS" on a product and even received clearance from IRS legal council in writing as confirmation.
- smackfu 14y agoWhen you are bidding on the Olympics, laws like this tend to get passed.