[jogiba]

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's bid to trademark her name and that of her daughter, Bristol, ran into trouble at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office because the application forms were unsigned, government records show.

Applications to trademark the names Sarah Palin and Bristol Palin, both for "motivational speaking services," were filed on November 5 by the Palins' longtime family attorney, Thomas Van Flein, but were quickly slapped down by a trademark examiner.

"Registration is refused because the applied-for mark, SARAH PALIN, consists of a name identifying a particular living individual whose consent to register the mark is not of record," the patent agency said in an office action.

"Please note this refusal will be withdrawn if applicant provides written consent from the individual identified in the applied-for mark," the patent office said.

The office also said Palin's application failed to show that her name had been used in commerce and could also be rejected on those grounds.

Bristol Palin's application also will need to be redone, according to a similar office action filed in her case.

The applications will be fixed, and the trademarks are likely to be granted, said attorney John Tiemessen, now handling the trademark process for Palin.

"We're working on it," Tiemessen told Reuters.

Tiemessen is with the law firm Clapp, Peterson, Tiemessen, Thorsness, Johnson, LLC.

Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president in 2008, has become one of the most recognizable names in U.S. politics and a darling of the conservative Tea Party movement that helped sweep Republicans to a majority in the House of Representatives during the 2010 elections.

Her daughter, Bristol, became a fan sensation as a contestant on the popular ABC show "Dancing with the Stars."

An unwed, single mom as a teenager, Bristol has also increasingly made a name for herself giving talks about teen pregnancy and abstinence from sex.

Both women also have staked out careers on the lecture circuit, as their trademark applications attest.

The governor seeks to register her name in conjunction with "providing motivational speaking services in the field of politics, culture, business and values," her application says.

It also cites her services in "providing a website featuring information about political issues."
Palin trademark application refused -- for now | Reuters

[shooz]

Imagine that!
Sarah Palin__________Branded............LOL

[Nesster]

Imagine that - Sarah will be our first female, and first trade-marked, president. And she will be the last, as she'll trade mark the title.

[Wheatfield]

Imagine that - Sarah will be our first female, and first trade-marked, president.

With luck, she'll forget which end of a gun points at the target and push the trigger before that happens.

[SpecialK]

I don't see the point of any of the Palins. I don't see the point of the trademark. I see lack of attention to detail, though.

[dgaies]

With luck, she'll forget which end of a gun points at the target and push the trigger before that happens.

[SteveM]

The poor woman. Writing isn't as easy as people make it out to be you know. I believe her lawyer can show her where on the page a signature would go and they can get her to mark it with an X or something.

[larryinlc]

This is what would concern me.

"The main reason a lot of celebrities want to trademark their name is economic gain," she said. "If they own a trademark to their name, no one else can make a profit off of it."

Shoot, there goes my Sarah Palins' Wilderness Bug Spray idea.

[Wheatfield]

Shoot, there goes my Sarah Palins' Wilderness Bug Spray idea.

And the Sarah Palin Limited Edition Glock Model 19.
Actually, that one she'd probably license for free.

[Jasvox]

If she trademarks her name, does that mean we will never see her name in print or in news articles ever again?

Trademark baby, trademark!

Jason