Sarah Palin Inc. Can she trademark her name?
(Read article summary)Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol want to trademark their names – a legal action more typical of celebrity figures in sports, fashion, and entertainment. As well-paid "motivational speakers," they've already made their mark.
It’s been said by her critics and mockers that Sarah Palin has become a brand, peddling herself with well-paid speeches, books written with a lot of help from professional wordsmiths, her own “reality” TV show, and those little key chains trimmed with genuine “Mama Grizzly” fur. (OK, so we made up the bit about the key chains.)
Now, it appears, Mrs. Palin – and her “Dancing with the Stars” daughter Bristol – really do want to be identified with a personal economic brand. They’ve applied to have their names trademarked. "Sarah Palin®" and "Bristol Palin®."
Not to sell souvenir coffee mugs or hats with their visage, but as “motivational speakers.” In the former Alaska governor’s case, that could prevent, say, Saturday Night Live’s Tina Fey from performing as “Sarah Palin.” Or vice versa if it turns out that Tina Fey is actually “Tina Fey®.”
According to papers filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (and first reported by Politics Daily), Mrs. Palin is seeking to trademark her name for "educational and entertainment services … providing motivational speaking services in the field of politics, culture, business and values."
The younger Ms. Palin’s application is for "educational and entertainment services, namely, providing motivational speaking services in the field of life choices."
