He apparently doesn’t want to share his own wealth
(Reason) Liberty Maniacs, a Minnesota-based “independent brand that designs and sells some of the world’s favorite political and satirical apparel and merchandise,” was served with a notice of infringement last week from Garvey, Schubert, Barer, the legal firm officially representing Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.
At issue is a T-shirt (which was unveiled last November) featuring the democratic socialist senator from Vermont beside some other socialist icons, namely philosophers Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels and their dictatorial admirers Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong, positioned over the words “Bernie IS MY COMRADE.” The word “Bernie” appears to be in the same font as the official Bernie 2016 logo, and the parody design also apes the campaign’s use of two wavy lines beneath the candidate’s name.
Liberty Maniacs founder Dan McCall told Reason in a phone call today that taking the five-point star that appears above the letter “i” in the “Bernie” logo and altering it to make it resemble the revolutionary communist red star is a classic example of parody, which is protected by the First Amendment.
Hey, they just want to share the wealth. What’s the problem?
Claire Hawkins, one of the lawyers from Garvey, Schubert, Barer, penned the letter demanding Liberty Maniacs “cease and desist” and “destroy and/or take offline all materials” bearing the Bernie 2016 official logo. Hawkins added:
As an intellectual property owner, our client is obligated to take steps to protect its trademark and copyright rights and to protect the good will built up in its name and brand.
This is from the lawyers of a guy who is dead set against capitalism, and loves him some socialist economics. Trademarks and copyrights are capitalist notions. With Bernie’s brand of socialism, everything is owned by the people and Government. Especially government. Strange that he doesn’t want to share his own stuff and income stream when he wants Everyone Else to do share theirs.
You have no idea what you’re talking about. Senator Sanders does not oppose capitalism, patents, trademarks or copyrights. He’s a Democratic Socialist like the Western Europeans. And he is more popular than Rafi or The Donald.
Why must cons lie?
Bernie Sanders is a socialist traitor. All socialists are anti-liberty, anti-America, and anti-Constitution. They are all monsters deserving of exile at best. Any and all socialists – given enough time – will always end up murdering their opponents and destroying their own country through tyranny. Socialism – national and international – has in less than 80 years murdered 147 million of their own population. It is the worst and most deadly thing to ever affect human kind.
Jeffrey wrote:
Except, of course, that “Democratic Socialist” is a contradiction in terms: socialism is based upon the notion that the government can tell you how to live your life, and decide what of your production you must ‘share’ with everyone else. If someone does not want to ‘share,’ it doesn’t matter; his wealth will be confiscated.
There is nothing democratic about socialism, except for the possibility that the socialists could be democratically elected the first time. After that, real elections can no longer be allowed.
Freedom is anathema to socialists.
Why must Bernie be against free speech?
Suck it up Bernie, you’re a public figure so they can use your image. Beside birds of a feather should flock together and you can redistribute wealth with your fellow comrades.
One thing in your favor is you haven’t had anyone who refuses to participate killed yet.
Dana, Teach: You don’t know what you’re talking about. You should read more.
You’re wetting your panties over a phrase that you little understand.
Jeffrey, what part of the basic concept of socialism, that everything must be shared equally, don’t you understand?
Dana,
Senator Bernie Sanders is not a socialist in the mold of communism, but calls himself a Democratic Socialist similar to the Western Europeans et al. Think of nations such as Finland, France, England, Australia rather than the USSR.
Although I support Secretary Clinton, I object to smearing Senator Sanders based on a word that you refuse to understand.
Sanders DOES NOT advocate that the means of production be redistributed to the people. That’s where you are confused (and I’m being charitable here).
You may have justifiable objections to President Sanders but to label him a cold war socialist is either dishonest and/or ignorant.
He supports Social Security pensions, single payer education, single payer healthcare, Wall Street transaction taxes/fees (just as George W. Bush did), more progressive taxation.
Stop pretending to be so stupid. You’re ideological, not dumb.
And Dana,
As one who relies on taxpayers for his salary, aren’t you a socialist? And your church is subsidized by the rest of us.
I started a company (with 4 others) risking my own money ($100s of thousands) and attracted vulture capitalist funding from the free market. Our clinical trials are going very, very well and we’ll likely sell the company for $100s of millions (although the risk of failure is always there). This will result in millions of taxes paid whether Secretary Clinton or Senator Sanders is the next president. (Although I don’t rule out the vile Republicans stealing the election).
You’re on the taxpayer payroll and I’m an entrepreneur and you’re explaining socialism and capitalism to me???
On one point we are similar. We are both likely voting against our own self-interest: a Dem will likely raise my taxes and a Republican will likely cut support for your roadbuilding. As much as I would like to see you harmed by the next president I will still support expansion and repairs on our infrastructure. You’re welcome.
So the little guy who exaggerates often turns out to be a little lying corporate cocksucking capitalist hypocrite.
Who knew?