The Hill: Norquist seeks trademark on ‘K Street Project’ name

[deminks]

Conservative activist Grover Norquist is seeking a trademark on “K Street Project,” saying Democrats and Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) have wrongfully acquired the term to describe unethical practices that have nothing to do with his organization.

Far from running away from the term, as most other Republicans have since January, when lobbyist Jack Abramoff agreed to plead guilty to corruption charges, Norquist is embracing it.

His project is a branch of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), which he heads. He says the project is an innocuous list of job openings for Washington lobbyists and a database of lobbyists’ political ties and federal campaign contributions.

“Some people say Kleenex when they mean tissue,” Norquist said. “We will jealously guard the real phrasing the way Kleenex and Coca-Cola do. We will sue anyone who says it wrong and make lots of money.”

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/041206/news2.html

[CatholicEdHead]

1. This is a way to tone down the verbal attacks on the plan

and make money off it. :puke:

[mitchum]

17. You are correct

[Shakespeare]

2. Oh, my.

That may be the funniest thing I've read all day. You go, Grover. What an ass hat.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[muntrv]

3. In related news,

Paris Hilton wants to trademark "THAT'S HOT!"

[xchrom]

4. your glory days are gone, grover.

read 'em and weep.

[LouisianaLiberal]

5. That's like fighting over the copyright

to the Necronomicon.

[xchrom]

7. lol -- that is funny!

[LisaM]

6. You have to have actual sales in commerce to get a trademark

How is he going to do that?

[shain from kane]

8. His "bathtub" copyright is about to run out. Sprung a leak.

A big one.

[David Zephyr]

9. You don't seek trademark status after the fact.

It's public domain unless he used the little TM next to the term every time he used it and had aggressively tried to protect it.

What a dick.

[shain from kane]

10. Can you trademark idiocy? n/t

[LisaM]

13. No, that's not true. It's helpful to use the TM but you don't have to

In the US, common law rights accrue from when you first use it (in commerce).

He would have to show samples of use, though, to get it registered.

It's also fair use to reference it as the Democrats have, so even if he gets a trademark, he can't stop people from referring to it however they want to.

[PurityOfEssence]

11. Does he also want a trademark on "Drown it in the bathtub"?

Here's a guy whose whopping ego so despises others that he can't even get off without envisioning the destruction of government. This is someone who seriously needs a comeuppance, and someone who dearly needs to be beset by upheavals that destroy his tidy little world. People like this are so smugly assured of their superiority as they bask in the joy of their privilege that they should be called into question and have to prove such contentions.

He's nothing special, and he's been sustained by the forces of aristocracy more than he knows. Should he have to actually deal with the terrestrial realities of mere mortals, he'd be torn apart by things the rest of us have to address.

There's nothing as disgusting as a protected tough-guy. Those who huff and puff from a position of presumed specialness should be called to prove themselves.

In short, he's nothing but a second-rate bully, and his sneering and gloating need to be shoved down his throat.

[brentspeak]

12. I was just reading about this guy in the David Brock book

He admires Lenin for his ruthlessness and often quotes the Lenin maxim, "Probe with bayonets, looking for weakness." Norquist even has a giant painting of Lenin in his home. Keeps his home looking like a frat house, and throws parties as if he's Bluto from "Animal House". Gets his ideas on how to fight dirty politics by reading the works of anarchists.

Unfortunately, this otherwise interesting character is not harmless: he's a major-league slimeball whose influence in D.C. has been undermining the American people for years.

[salin]

14. Guessing he is trying to 'hide' the name

if it is trademarked - I would guess that he would attempt to wage legal battles to prevent casual use/reference to the group.

Won't work Grover - the public has become aware of the effort. Doesn't like it much either. Too late to try to hide it.

[mitchum]

15. I am amazed that he walks around DC without taxpayer funded protection

Amazed, I tell you

[mitchum]

16. He should also trademark "Whiny Lowlife Motherfucker"

[blockhead]

18. I bet he's against frivolous lawsuits also. n/t

[Fovea]

19. You are so right Grover!

From now on we will refer to it as "The K Street Fascist Takeover."

[wicket]

20. Good luck with that Grover

:eyes: