Rock the Vote U sucK
They never called us. But The Sun, a tabloid paper in the UK, has shamelessly ripped us off. They have launched "Rock the Vote UK." Normally, with an appropriate agreement between us, we'd be for it. But the way they're going about it.... makes me feel like I need to take a shower.
They just grabbed our logo from our site---including our trademark, I would add!, and slapped a "UK" on there... used the faces of celebs that have endorsed our campaign as though they were backing theirs...
When you land on the main election coverage page, you see a big promotion for "Trevor Kavanagh" which the paper seems to think is their version of Ron Brownstein or something... he wrote the original post on their campaign so I'm going to assume he's the guy. Trevor, you're no Ron Brownstein! More like a Jeff Gannon.
There's an election in the UK on May 5. We hope all the young people turn out and vote. But if you're from the UK and you're on our website wondering our voter registration tool isn't working for you... send an email to rockthevote@the-sun.co.uk and complain!
They just grabbed our logo from our site---including our trademark, I would add!, and slapped a "UK" on there... used the faces of celebs that have endorsed our campaign as though they were backing theirs...
When you land on the main election coverage page, you see a big promotion for "Trevor Kavanagh" which the paper seems to think is their version of Ron Brownstein or something... he wrote the original post on their campaign so I'm going to assume he's the guy. Trevor, you're no Ron Brownstein! More like a Jeff Gannon.
There's an election in the UK on May 5. We hope all the young people turn out and vote. But if you're from the UK and you're on our website wondering our voter registration tool isn't working for you... send an email to rockthevote@the-sun.co.uk and complain!
posted by Hans Riemer at 9:28 AM
15 Comments:
Perhaps "The Sun" should contribute a few hundred thousand pounds to the Rock The Vote Education Fund, so that RTV won't be forced to pursue legal action for copyright and trademark infringement.
Tell the Euro's to mind their own business...
imtheamericandream,
When did you start caring about property rights?
imtheamericandream.
As the name states, living the american dream through lawsuits. Free money for everyone!!!!!!!!
todd - have you really read and thought about any of my postings? or can you only read through the tinted glasses of {{insert partisan idealogue}}. if you had an open mind, you would have gleaned that above everything else, my voice is one of moderation.
of course i believe in property rights for individuals. however, i also believe that corporate entities should not have the same property rights as human beings. i.e. local municipalities should be able to tax them at different rates and issue different regulations on the sale of property.
but, i'm guessing that you're obliquely alluding to my stance on social security. i've said it many times, and i'll keep saying it until this issue is put to bed
1)There IS a problem with Social Security that must be addressed; but it is not a crisis situation. Thus, we should take a long, hard, in-depth look at the philosophy and the economics of the current system and its proposed alternatives as a nation. We should NOT be scared into taking immediate action.
2)Medicare, Education and Iraq ARE crisis issues
3)"Personal accounts are NOT a solution to the issue [longterm SS solvency]", says Pres. Bush (emphasis added:)
4) Less government, please. Less bureaucracy, please. Less corporate power, please. More local community control, NOW.
"responsible" american - without the protection of copyrights and trademarks (intellectual, scientific, technological, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, etc etc) the American (& global) economy would be a vastly different place - how about that as a discussion?? rather than your inflammatory accusations??
Rock The Vote has spent alot of energy, money and time developing a recognizable brand that furthers their goal of empowering young people. Stealing that brand for your own profit is just that, stealing. I doubt that you would disagree if the brand in question was McDonald's.
americandream truly has no concept of how corporations work. Heres a hint for you: Corporations DO NOT pay taxes... you do, individual workers and clients/customers. You pay for those taxes through lower wages, less jobs and higher prices. As much as you hate it, corporations are in business for one reason: to make money. Get over it and learn to live in the world of capitalism.
As for this topic, I hope RTV got an international TM because the rules change in Europe, and don't expect European courts to play nice with you. It doesn't matter how much you hate Bush, you're still American to them and it'll make any legal battle in the EU difficult.
sean foushee - corporations do pay taxes, do your homework. BTW, I find it hard to believe that you are a professor of anything.
"Unequal Protection: The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Theft of Human Rights" by Thomm Hartmann
Because of a mistaken interpretation of a Supreme Court reporter's notes in an 1886 railroad tax case, corporations are now legally considered "persons," equal to humans and entitled to many of the same protections guaranteed only to humans by the Bill of Rights - a clear contradiction of the intent of the Founders of the United States. The results of this "corporate personhood" have been:
Unequal taxes
Unequal privacy
Unequal wealth
Unequal trade
Unequal media
Unequal regulation
Unequal responsibility for crime
Unequal protection from risk
Unequal citizenship and access to the commons
To remedy the legal blunder of corporate personhood, Hartmann offers specific action steps that can be taken by citizens, courts, legislatures, and local communities.
"Prof" Foushee - Why do you insist that anyone who dislikes the privatization of Social Security also "hates President Bush"? This personalization of politics is detrimental to the entire process of logical reasoning.
freaking UK bastards. get their own damn logo. and im sure if they had asked to use it u would have allowed it because its not all about money and copyright issues its all about getting your ass out to vote and use those rights that were given to us by out four fathers and make a fucking difference!!
imtheamericandream,
I'm guessing that the message regarding corporations was not about the ACTUAL status of corporations, but who IN THE END pays the taxes. It was a simple economics lesson.
Owners of corporations are not just going to say "yeah! taxes!" They are going to take that into account as another operating cost. Therefore, it gets cut out of employee wages or is added on to the price for the consumer.
In addition, if the taxing is done in an unbalanced manner, then it has the added penalty of altering costs of goods (and services) such that it is harder for some companies to competitively price goods.
So, in the end, you hurt the workers, and the consumers (so that's twice for the worker-consumer), and possibly even push the market towards monopoly.
Yay corporate taxes. How intelligent!
Todd - bravo, I'm glad to see someone wasn't skipping school with the "cool kids" during economic class in HS.
americandream - the concept of corporations paying taxes is another aspect of class warfare and one played well by many politicians. Please go talk to a few business owners and ask them how they pay for corporate taxes... I'll give you a hint, its called overhead.
As for the hating Bush remark, it wasn't directed towards anyone saying negative comments towards privatizing SS. In fact lets reread the post and hopefully you'll use some of your comprehensive reading skills this time around:
"As for this topic, I hope RTV got an international TM because the rules change in Europe, and don't expect European courts to play nice with you. It doesn't matter how much you hate Bush, you're still American to them and it'll make any legal battle in the EU difficult."
Not a single word about SS in that statement. now lets examine the facts:
1) RTV is being ripped off by a European company, therefore their trademark must be protected and will most likely be fought in a european court.
2) RTV has made it clear that they don't like our current President.
Now, pointing out that RTV and many European's shared hatred for our President will not win them any brownie points in court is crossing the line into opinion, so you can lambaste me for that.
The Sun is a tabloid. They do not care and they have lawyers that let them do that.
if there using it for a positive thing why would you care if they use your logo. The more informed people are about the issue the better right ?!
Maybe this serves you some of your own medicine for being against property rights via your "I Heart Social Security" campaign.
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