Patent PendingI suppose it should not be surprising that Sarah Palin has filed an application to register her name as a trademark. But having learned that, it is not at all surprising that the application was rejected because she forgot to sign it. According to the Los Angeles Times, Palin filed an application last November seeking to register "Sarah Palin" as a trademark for use in particular types of commerce. (You can have a trademark without registering, but registering provides certain legal benefits.) Specifically, she claimed to be using the mark in connection with "Information about political elections; Providing a website featuring information about political issues," and "Educational and entertainment services; namely, providing motivational speaking services in the field of politics, culture, business and values." As specimens of the current use of the mark in connection with "providing a website," she attached webpage printouts of an article about her joining FOX News and of her Facebook page.
On November 29, the application was rejected for two reasons. First, the examiner pointed out, the fact that your name appears in a news article or on your Facebook page is not evidence that you are "providing a website" featuring political information. Second, Palin did not sign the application.
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