OK, this is just nuts. I can’t see how anyone at the Dept of U.S. Patents would ever give this one away.
Wal-Mart is embroiled in a legal dispute over the smiley face image which it wants to trademark in the US.
A Frenchman who claims to have invented the yellow smiley face back in 1968 is opposing the US retail giant's move.
How can anyone in their right mind think that they own the smiley face? A character that has probably been drawn by children since the beginning of time, really.
As you read the article and feelings of enmity begin to develop toward Wal-Mart, consider that their spokesman noted that they had no intention of cornering the rights to the happy sketch until the obnoxious Frenchman made moves like he was going to try and patent it here in the U.S. Greed. Nothing but greed.
1 comment:
<"It is kind of ironic that this whole dispute is about a smiley face," said Mr Simley.
"But in the end, it is what it is: it's a mark that we have a tremendous investment in and is very closely identified with our company.">
If it's any comfort to Mr Simley, I don't associate WalMart with smiley faces at all.
And I really don't see what the fuss is about who invented it. They showed the guy in the movie Forrest Gump. Do a little research, people!
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