# They've taking trademarking too far.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-taking-trademarking-too-far/514990>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 24, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-taking-trademarking-too-far/514990 "2009-10-24T19:00:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-taking-trademarking-too-far/514990/41 "2009-11-01T10:15:19Z")

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> [@Cerowyn](#):
>
> Trademarks can be licensed, so they could have signed a license agreement with the be-tattooed guy to let him use them. He could even add a tattoo that said something to the effect of “used under license.”

In fact, I have a feeling that he didn’t merely “ask” for permission after his 80th tatoo. He probably found out he could get in a lot of trouble for what he’d already done, and struck a deal.

> [@YogSosoth](#):
>
> Just to see if I got it right, in 20 years (or whenever that extension is up) anybody would have been able to use Mickey for any purpose?

I seriously doubt the copyright will end then, either. DIsney has a history of getting it extended.

> [@commasense](#):
>
> [a thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=243945) \<snipped\>

The sound part of that thread was interesting. I took the time to figure out what the patented sounds would sound like. The AOL one is the sound used all the time on TV to indicate an instant message. And the Microsoft one sounds quite similar to the Intel one. I would think that both would have had to be defended.

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