In 1994, Disney trademarked
the use of the phrase “hakuna matata” on clothing, footwear, and
headgear. The common Swahili phrase, meaning “no trouble,” was the name
of a song in Disney’s movie The Lion King. Now, a petition for Disney to give up the copyright, has more than 50,000 signatures.
(Zimbabwean activist Shelton) Mpala told CNN
he started the petition “to draw attention to the appropriation of
African culture and the importance of protecting our heritage, identity
and culture from being exploited for financial gain by third parties.
This plundered artwork serves to enrich or benefit these museums and
corporations and not the creators or people it’s derived from.”
If you’re going to allow trademarks to curtail public liberty, they can’t just be words, and certainly should *never* be titles of songs or books or proper names that ordinary people use.
Just as patents should never be given to things that already exist. Like fire, or the wheel, or shapes.
Its all this nonsense that will bring Intellectual Property down in the end. This kind of craziness is a huge part of what started me realizing “intellectual property” was not a benefit to humanity. Certainly not creators.
