'Jesus' jeans maker cracking down

[Hum]

The Italian jeans company that owns the trademark on the name "Jesus" in the U.S. is cracking down on apparel companies that wish to use the name in their brand.

The Wall Street Journal reports the company, called Jesus Jeans, persuaded the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to allow them to register the word "Jesus" as a trademark in 2007, giving them exclusive rights in the U.S. to the name.

The company owns the trademark just on the name "Jesus," not on the image of Christianity's central figure.

Since then, Jesus Jeans has launched a crusade against at least a dozen U.S. companies selling Jesus-themed apparel, mostly start-up clothing lines. Its litigators claim the companies are appropriating the name "Jesus" without the trademark owner's blessing.

Attorneys for the company say their trademark is similar to the trademark owned by Nike, whose namesake is the winged goddess of victory.

"If somebody, small church or even a big church, wants to use 'Jesus' for printing a few T-shirts, we don't care," Domenico Sindico, the general counsel for intellectual property for Jesus Jean's parent company BasicNet told The Wall Street Journal.

Sindico says the company is concerned when other apparel companies attempt to use their trademark for profit.

BasicNet first applied for a "Jesus" trademark registration in 1999, and was granted the trademark eight years later.

The company has attempted to trademark the name "Jesus" in numerous other countries around the globe, but most of the applications have been denied. :laugh:

source

[LaP]

The Wall Street Journal reports the company, called Jesus Jeans, persuaded the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to allow them to register the word "Jesus" as a trademark in 2007, giving them exclusive rights in the U.S. to the name.

The is definately worthy of a captn Picard double facepalm image.

[wahoospa]

Crazy as hell!

[Richteralan]

Isn't Jesus also a first name in Portugese or Spanish?

[Torolol]

i wonder what would happens if they use "Gay" Jeans as their trademarks?

[LaP]

Isn't Jesus also a first name in Portugese or Spanish?

Yes it is.

[Richteralan]

Yes it is.

Great I'm gonna USPTO my first name.

[Hum]

I have just trademarked 'Buddah' jeans. :shifty: Yeah, they're for fat people.

[LaP]

I wonder if i can trademark God ?

[Hum]

^ I think the Catholic church owns that one.

[McKay]

I suppose you could print "Jesus Christ" on the T-shirt. It's no real difference I guess to people complaining they can't print t shirts with "Ben Sherman" I guess.

[Torolol]

but they'll got a lot more heavy protest from easly-rioting muslims if they use arabic name like "Muhammad Jeans",

so yeah they choose to use other religion instead.

[Hum]

For some reason, the topic title makes me think of this :s :

[Growled Member]

Why anyone would want Jesus on their butt is beyond me.

[Hum]

^ Maybe he gives good massage ...

[Growled Member]

^ You've got a point there. :D

[techbeck]

The is definately worthy of a captn Picard double facepalm image.

:)

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

How about Mohammed Jeans?

[Growled Member]

How about Mohammed Jeans?

That sounds jihad worthy.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

That sounds jihad worthy.

Jesus jeans is not any different.