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And the award for ‘Best Idea Of The Year’ goes to Early Flicker, a company trying to trademark the logo and slogan used by Anonymous.
Anonymous, for those who aren’t aware, is a disparate group of hacktivists which started out fighting the Church of Scientology but has since expanded its operations to support a free and open Internet and fight against large corporations. They’re loved by the people they stand up for, and both hated and feared by those they make trouble for.
Whatever your personal feelings towards Anonymous and their activities, it’s hard not to side with them in their latest fight. According to Forbes, a company called Early Flicker has applied to the Institut National De La Propriété Industrielle (INPI) for the trademark to the Anonymous logo (seen above left) and the slogan, “We are Anonymous, We do not forgive, We do not forget. Expect us.” Which is surely the height of both arrogance and madness.
Early Flicker has no hold over either of these Anonymous properties, and yet it’s trying to claim ownership in order to sell all manner of different products with the well-recognized logo and slogan on. The company is in fact already selling Anonymous-branded clothing, and I guess this trademark application is intended to stop any other company from doing the same in France.
Unsurprisingly this hasn’t gone down too well with Anonymous, which has launched Operation AnonTrademark in retaliation. Anonymous has vowed to shut down any online activities of Early Flicker and get the trademark application halted in its tracks. In a video posted to YouTube it also warned:
“Their [Early Flicker's] arrogance and ignorance of what they have done will not go unpunished. Anonymous will take down any business they have going on the internet and the ninety nine per cent will not stop until the registration has been revoked and a public apology has been made. The name of Anonymous will not be the whore of the world.”
I’m no expert on the rules regarding trademarks but you’d assume that someone seeking ownership over a name or logo would be required to, I don’t know, prove that they have a legal right to do so. This has to be classified as a mistake on all counts, and I fear the punishment meted out to Early Flicker will be harsh.
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