As I understand it, the people in this instance started making copies of the poster they bought, and are trying to claim trademark to the style and layout of the message specifically because of a ton of copycat “Keep Calm and (blank)” merchandise, all laid out exactly like the poster (little crown at the top, one word on each line, “and” smaller than the other words, etc.
My favorite is one I saw James May wearing: Get Excited and Make Stuff.
No, the UK government’s position differs quite substantially of the US government’s. In the UK, public works are (generally) subject to crown copyright, which must be specifically waived by the holder.
I am not an expert in the field and I have no idea if the scope of UK trademark law differs.
