Something is very wrong in America when a multinational corporation can trademark ‘Seal Team 6’ in order to rip off the heroism of American Navy Seals who risked their lives to kill Osama bin Laden.
Two days after members of the Navy’s SEAL Team 6 killed Osama bin Laden, Disney trademarked the name for use in: “entertainment and educational services, toys, games and playthings; gymnastic and sporting articles; hand-held units for playing electronic games; Christmas stockings; Christmas tree ornaments and decorations; snow globes; clothing, footwear and headwear.”
Companies have tried to trademark combat-related terms before. A day after U.S. allied forces entered Iraq in 2003, Sony applied to trademark the war’s catchphrase, “shock and awe,” for use as the title of a video game. The application was later abandoned.
Private enterprise is great – it is a critical element of all that we in the free world hold dear – but this is simply going too far and needs to be slapped down, and hard. In what possible way can Disney have the right to anything associated with ‘Seal Team 6’ – paid for by the American taxpayer and manned by anonymous American heroes?