Robert Maresca, Long Island Man, Wants To Trademark 'Occupy Wall Street'

NEW YORK (Associated Press)- A Long Island, N.Y., man wants to trademark the Occupy Wall Street movement's name.

Robert Maresca of West Islip tells Newsday (http://bit.ly/uv6f6y ) he wants to put Occupy Wall Street on T-shirts, handbags and glasses.

He filed to trademark the name on Oct. 18. The filing was first reported by The Smoking Gun website.

Occupy Wall Street representatives Michael Fix and Beth Bogart say they're not surprised by attempts to make money off the protest, even though it's about economic injustice.

But Maresca says he only wants to spread the word, not capitalize on the movement.

Maresca says he became interested in Occupy Wall Street after union members began showing up at the protesters' encampment in Zuccotti Park. He used to work for the Ironworkers Local 361 in Brooklyn.

 

 

Comments

[William1950]

12:06 AM on 10/26/2011

a magic marker on a plain tee shirt would work..

[Always Conservative]

10:47 PM on 10/25/2011

God bless CAPITALISM!!!

[kickserv]

03:45 PM on 10/25/2011

As long as he doesn't make one penny on his venture, otherwise his a hypocrite.

[William1950]

12:07 AM on 10/26/2011

why is that? to be for the ows movement is not to be against money...

[demsrsilly]

07:08 AM on 10/26/2011

That seems to be true, especially OTHER people's money.

[madcityy]

02:37 PM on 10/25/2011

GO FOR IT,,,A MAN WITH A BRAINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

[RightRealDeal]

02:40 PM on 10/25/2011

you do what you have to do, I applaud his ingenuity

[Lucas Mathers]

09:11 PM on 10/25/2011

How much ingenuity does it take to rip off other people's ideas and work? I thought of this weeks ago and decided it wasn't right to profit from a protest about corporate greed...

Applaud away as yet another thing gets sold when instead it should be respected.

[JHberger]

02:30 PM on 10/25/2011

RE: that Ubiquitous "People Not Profits" sign. Best definition I've heard for "People Not Profits" is that it's easier to start a green company by getting a government grant funded by the "People" than it is to start a green company that actually makes a "Profit."

[Lucas Mathers]

09:14 PM on 10/25/2011

Then you completely misunderstand the statement and even if your "joke" were written with an actual sense of comedic timing, it falls flat.

[PostRationalDissonance]

10:20 PM on 10/25/2011

it's a dog eat dog world Lucas. In any social group their is inevitably a fundamental purpose which unifies it. Whatever that purpose is the groups morality and ethics all naturally serve that one purpose before any other. Their is no end to the justifications, no matter how strained or irrational, that the imaginative human brain can create to defend that purpose. Members of the group are rewarded for their contribution to furthering that purpose. When acquisition and consumption are the highest purpose people become just one more commodity.

[JHberger]

12:02 PM on 10/26/2011

I wouldn't say that I misunderstand the slogan ... it just doesn't make sense to me. It may mean that the slogan-bearer is against the concept of profit, which would make them a Communist, which history has proven to be rather bad for "people." It may mean that the slogan-bearer is for the concept of "people," in which case, it is profit that keeps them employed and feeds their families.

[PostRationalDissonance]

10:24 PM on 10/25/2011

Pick a name, any name, of any single company and I will tell you exactly how they profit because the "People" funded (I don't mean through direct purchase of their good or service) something vital to the existence of their business.

The hardest things to do are also the most rewarding when you do them.

[JHberger]

11:49 AM on 10/26/2011

If you're gonna quote Lizzy Warren, don't bother. Rather, take a peek at Milton Friedman's classic, "No One Can Make A Pencil" video. My view is that "People Not/Before Profits" is a non sequitur, if not a complete reversal of logic. A profit-based free market has done more to raise the living standards of the human race than any other system. Of course, if you feel that the current system is morally and politically bankrupt, you can go and start your own new system -- if you can find any investors.

[serz4u]

02:29 PM on 10/25/2011

Yeah? I'd like to copyright
"Robert Maresca is a D--che"

[RightRealDeal]

02:27 PM on 10/25/2011

I will be marketing a full line of OWS Action Figures, T Shirts that say "Gimme, Gimme and Gimme some more" and coffee mugs, backpacks, pepper spray antidote and even, firehose proof raincoats

[Lucas Mathers]

09:19 PM on 10/25/2011

Probably easier to start with some Tea Party action figures.. You'll save money on the empty heads and make money on all the ridiculous "patriot" outfits (like guns, confederate flags and Minutemen hats) that TP protestors like to wear instead of taking the time to understand the issues.

[Always Conservative]

10:48 PM on 10/25/2011

OWS Joe with the pickpocket grip!!! LOL!!

[pipetoe]

02:24 PM on 10/25/2011

Here's a good PR person for the project.
http://youtu.be/OW56Z-0xwIQ

[Sarah Cuse]

02:23 PM on 10/25/2011

it won't be long till every folk singer in the nation has a you tube video or recording capturing the "essence " of OWS

[RightRealDeal]

02:23 PM on 10/25/2011

When will OWS have an IPO?

[3in1]

02:30 PM on 10/25/2011

When and Who was/did the last IPO?

[RightRealDeal]

02:32 PM on 10/25/2011

Wall Street is right there, plenty of expertise for them to draw upon

[Lucas Mathers]

09:20 PM on 10/25/2011

Your question is meaningless... what a surprise.

[Why2Late]

02:20 PM on 10/25/2011

How one group is truly no dif, then the other. Always a dollar to be made.

[bryan broome]

02:18 PM on 10/25/2011

Some one should at least copywrite it before Metallica gets ahold of it.

[MikeNice]

02:10 PM on 10/25/2011

Interesting how so many people are using this story to suggest hypocrisy of the OWS movement. Do they really think OWS supporters sympathize with the man trying to trademark the phrase? Of course they don't.

The second point people are wrongfully making is that he is legitimately trying to make money and someone would do it if he didn't because this is American and that's what we do. These people don't understand the intended purpose of intellectual property.

If given a trademark, he would be able to prevent people from using a particular phrase, thus taking that privilege away from other citizens. This would be fine if he had a legitimate claim to the phrase that justifies preventing others from using it, which it is clear that he does not. He would have to demonstrate that the phrase has acquired a different meaning other than it's original purpose, and that this new meaning identifies the phrase with his product or service.

[UnitedStatesOfTara]

03:03 PM on 10/25/2011

Meant to give you a smart badge, but gave you an LOL by mistake. You deserve both.

[sticks n stones]

03:08 PM on 10/25/2011

Actually, if given a trademark, he would be able to prevent people from using a particular phrase for a particular commercial purpose.

[MikeNice]

07:56 AM on 10/26/2011

It would also prevent supporters from collecting donations under the banner.

[86-44]

02:02 PM on 10/25/2011

A capitalist using the anti capitalist to make a profit................Capitalism at it's finest. Gotta love it

[Sister Bluebird]

02:20 PM on 10/25/2011

OWs isn't anti-capitalist. It simply isn't pro-vampire squid.

There is a difference.

[Lucas Mathers]

09:24 PM on 10/25/2011

Well said.

[PostRationalDissonance]

10:29 PM on 10/25/2011

Believing is seeing Sister Bluebird.

[breakingpoint]

01:54 PM on 10/25/2011

people should be able to copyright any simple string of words for profit they want, on that same note they should also have a right to sell their offspring for profit too.

if you're going to charge me for uttering the words that come out of my mouth then I have to have a relatively free and easy way to pay you for them.

seriously, this is one big part of capitalism I hate - copyrighting ideas
makes everyone a beggar, save a few

[tumbler snapper]

02:40 PM on 10/25/2011

You can't copyright "ideas".

[breakingpoint]

03:12 PM on 10/25/2011

watch them do it

[sticks n stones]

03:09 PM on 10/25/2011

You don't seem to understand copyright law very well. The scope of registered trademarks is extremely limited.

[breakingpoint]

03:13 PM on 10/25/2011

you better look up the history and how far they've taken it
they want to own your DNA and they will keep fighting to get it - they have the time and money