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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ The revolution will be trademarked and put on T-shirts if an increasing number of entrepreneurs succeed in their attempts to profit from the Occupy demonstrations.
A few T-shirts began to appear several days after the first protest began on Sept. 17 with a march through the streets of lower Manhattan.
Now, T-shirts, coffee mugs and other merchandise emblazoned with Occupy locations and slogans are being offered online and amid the camp sites that have sprung up in cities across the country. A number of merchandise vendors, clothing designers and others are making plans to market a wide-variety of goods for a wide-variety of reasons even as some protesters decry the business plans as directly counter to the demonstrations' goals.
In recent weeks, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has received a spate of applications from enterprising merchandisers, lawyers and others seeking to win exclusive commercial rights to such phrases as “We are the 99 percent,” “Occupy” and “Occupy DC 2012.”
Organizers of the protest centered in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park went so far as to file for a trademark of “Occupy Wall Street” after several other applications connected to the demonstrations were filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Wylie Stecklow, a lawyer representing the protesters, said the Oct. 24 filing was done to prevent profiteering from a movement many say is a protest against corporate greed.
“I would like to ensure that this isn't coopted for commercial purposes,” Stecklow said. “The trademark can be used for noncommercial purposes.”
Stecklow's application was one of three filed with the U.S. PTO seeking to trademark either “Occupy Wall Street” or “Occupy Wall St.”
Vince Ferraro, a small businessman based in Arizona, applied to trademark “Occupy Wall Street” a few hours after Stecklow. Ferraro declined to discuss his plans if he wins the trademark.
“If I prevail,” he said, “I believe there are opportunities in commerce not directly related to the movement.”
Both Stecklow and Ferraro were beat to the trademark office by a Long Island couple who filed for “Occupy Wall St.” on Oct. 16. Robert and Diane Maresca paid $975 for the application, which said they intended to put the phrase on a wide-variety of products.
They couldn't be reached for comment. But on Thursday, the couple withdrew their application, leaving Stecklow's clients and Ferraro as the only two competing to own “Occupy Wall Street.”
USPTO lawyer Cynthia Lynch said that when the trademark office is confronted with similar applications, it gives priority to the first application received. However, she said the trademark office also takes into consideration whether the phrase was in wide use before the first application was filed.
Stecklow, the attorney for the protesters, says he believed his clients will prevail because they've been using the phrase “Occupy Wall Street” for months before the first application was filed.
The USPTO's Lynch declined to discuss specific applications and said it takes about three months for the office to make an initial determination.
“This rush to trademark was entirely expected and predictable because this is what everybody does,” said Ron Coleman, a trademark attorney and author of a popular trademark blog. “The irony is too rich.”
Coleman predicted the New York protesters would prevail because they've been using the phrase the longest. Nonetheless, he questioned how the trademark could be managed by a group claiming to be leaderless.
“Who has authority to speak on behalf of the trademark,” Coleman asked.
In the meantime, several businesses and merchandise vendors aren't waiting for the trademark office.
Ray Agrinzone, a clothing designer, launched theoccupystore.com earlier this month. The site offers t-shirts, hoodies and even gift certificates.
Agrinzone said he intends to donate 10 percent of profits to the Occupy Wall Street organizers. He said he has lost money so far, but still plans donate about $100 over the weekend. He said he will propose to organizers that a section of Zuccotti Park be turned into a merchandise zone for the benefit of the movement.
He said he has received hateful tweets and email from people opposed to his store and plans to profit from the Occupy demonstrations.
“There's nothing wrong with turning a profit,” Agrinzone said. “I don't think that's what this is all about.”
Further, he said that fashion can help with the movement's goals.
“There is no better way to spread the message of revolution than through clothes,” Agrinzone said.
反월가시위 상품화 논란 가열
온•오프라인에 시위 문구 이용한 각종 상품 등장
시위대 구호 상표권 등록도 봇물
자본주의 문제점과 기업 탐욕을 비판하기 위한 반(反) 월가 시위가 장기화하는 가운데 시위대 구호를 이용한 각종 상품이 온라인과 오프라인을 통해 판매되면서 논란이 일고 있다.
이달 초부터 의상 디자이너 레이 애그린존은 'theoccupystroe.com'이라는 온라인 사이트를 개설하고 티셔츠와 모자 달린 옷, 상품권 등을 판매하고 있다.
그는 판매 이익의 10%를 월가 시위조직에 기부할 생각이라면서 현재까지는 적자지만 그래도 이번 주말께 100달러를 기부할 계획이라고 밝혔다. 애그린존은 또 시위 대 조직에 주코티 공원 한쪽을 상품 판매지역으로 바꾸는 방안도 제안할 예정이다.
이 밖에도 티셔츠부터 컵에 이르기까지 다양한 상품이 온라인은 물론 미국 전역의 시위 장소에서 팔리고 있다.
그러나 시위를 통해 이익을 취하려는 이 같은 계획이 기업 탐욕을 비판하는 월가 시위의 목표에 반한다는 의견이 만만치 않다. 애그리존의 온라인 매장에 반대하는 사람들은 악성 트윗이나 메일로 반대 의사를 표현하고 있다.
이와 관련해 애그리존은 "이익을 내는 데는 잘못된 것이 없다"고 생각한다며 오히려 혁명의 메시지를 전하는 데는 옷 만한 방법이 없고 패션이 시위 목표를 달성하는 데 도움이 될 수 있다고 주장했다.
시위대 구호에 대한 상표권 등록도 봇물 터지듯 쏟아져 나오고 있다.
지난달 시위를 조직한 단체가 '월가를 점령하라(Occupy Wall Street)'는 구호에 대해 특허청에 상표권을 신청한 데 이어 일부 상인과 변호사들의 상표권 신청도 줄을 이으면서 '우리는 99%(We are the 99%)', 'DC를 점령하라 2012(Ocuppy DC 2012)'등 다양한 구호가 특허청의 결정을 기다리고 있다.
시위대 변호사인 와일리 스테크로프는 상표권을 등록한 것은 상업적 목적을 위한 것이 아니며 많은 사람이 대기업의 탐욕에 반대하는 시위에 기대서 부당 이익을 취하려는 것을 막으려는 조치라고 설명했다.
최초로 이 문구에 대한 상표권을 신청했던 롱아일랜드의 마레스카 부부가 지난 3일 신청을 취소함에 따라 상표권은 월가 시위대에 돌아갈 가능성이 크다.
하지만 뚜렷한 지도자가 없는 월가 시위대가 상표권을 어떻게 다룰 것인가에 관한 의문은 아직 남아있다. 월가 시위 구호가 상품판매나 상표권 등록에 이용되는 데 대한 논란도 여전히 진행 중이다.
