A man in the United States is seeking to profit from the phrase Je suis Charlie, which became a rallying cry after the terrorist attack in Paris that killed 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper.
According to a filing on January 16th at the US Patent and Trademark Office, the Florida-based Latin American Trading Group applied for a trademark on the words, which translate as I am Charlie. The application says the phrase would be used on a range of products.
The company's listed director is Joe Marc Gershon.
Trademark lawyer David Friedland predicts the application will not be approved because trademark holders must be the phrase's source.
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The satirical French publication was attacked on January 7th.
Press Association