Rep. Jamie Raskin sounded the alarm that the federal patent office filed trademark applications for President Trump’s Board of Peace — not for representatives of the board.
The Maryland Democrat and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee wrote to John Squires, director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, demanding information after the office filed trademark applications for the name and logo of the Board of Peace.
The agency submitted the two trademark applications earlier this year, asserting that it’s to prevent misuse. But the filings don’t identify any individuals.
Mr. Raskin said this unusual move appears to have been “used to conceal the existence of legal and financial structures designed to funnel money to the President for his unilateral use.”
Mr. Trump first proposed the Board of Peace in September, created to reconstruct the Gaza Strip with a broader goal to address other foreign conflicts. Its countries must pay $1 billion for permanent membership.
The Maryland congressman said it raised “serious concerns” that the patent agency applied for the trademarks, as opposed to the board itself. Under the Lanham Act, the federal trademark law, only the “owner of a trademark used in commerce may request registration of its trademark on the principal register.”
The trademark office refuses registration if an applicant cannot demonstrate control, often citing “likelihood of confusion” or a lack of “unity of control.”
Mr. Raskin also expressed concern that the Trump administration could penalize those who try to use the trademark.
“Trademarks exist to protect consumers and businesses,” Mr. Raskin said. “They do not exist to silence objectors to a governmental administration.”
Mr. Raskin demanded information regarding the decision to file the trademark applications and the office’s plans for ownership, examination and enforcement of the marks.
The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold an oversight hearing on the trademark office next Wednesday.
• Mary McCue Bell can be reached at mbell@washingtontimes.com.
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