Sandy: “Green Shift” a trademark! ***********
Posted on 23 June 2008 by Sandy
Did no one in the Liberal Party or office of the official opposition do their homework? All they would have had to do is type in the words “green shift” and do a google search. And, low and behold, they would have immediately come upon an environmental business website by that name — a name that was clearly marked TM — trademarked.
Yes, it turns out the term “Green Shift” is already under copyright. I had heard via the grapevine that someone was on TV the other day complaining about this but then I got a H/T from a regular reader and went looking myself.
So, now Dion is going to present his plan to the Canadian public and it involves using a trademarked name that is someone else’s? Would that not be a copyright infringement? See here under “copyright.” Does that mean the LPC is going to be sued? Or, will the Liberals have to pay royalties instead?
Does all this have a familiar ring to it? Stay tuned.
H/T Bert.
Ed. Note: Sandy nailed a good one today. Entry bumped to the top. Don’t miss it and follow the comments. Matt is all over it as is National Newswatch. Good for them.
Ed. Update: Judging by my stats this entry is going into orbit. Bumped to the very top and I changed Sandy’s graphic (for effect) and the title. I hope she doesn’t mind.
Ed. Note: Do I detect a blog “pile on” here? I suspect so because I’ve seen it before and this one is a “keeper”. I never even thought to Google the name because I trusted those crafty Liberals to do their homework. Who would have guessed that they didn’t? I won’t make that mistake again.
Ed. Update: Liberal Saboteurs Feed Stephane Dion A Big Fat Shiftburger
Ed. Update: Could Liberal Copyright Infringement Be Internal Sabotage?
Ed. Update: Do You Tink It’s IZzy To Make A Green Shift?
Ed. Update: Do you think it’s easy to make priorities?
Ed. Update: What all the hollering is about (for those that don’t know)
Ed. Update: 6:20 pm and I’m gone for the day. Don’t miss the CTV story and the Globe comment:
John Smith from Ottawa, Canada writes: Dion’s green plan could ’shift’ votes to Liberals. I can’t wait for the poll that says 52 percent of pigs think they can fly. Strikes me as the media and pollsters really want an election. Notice how the article doesn’t mention what the polling questions were asked. Dion missed his chance on this issue 2 yrs ago. Its the ecomomy, stupid.
I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry.
Goodnight.
Sandy’s Update: Joanne at Blue Like You has a post now as well. And, check out:
A Globe and Mail article by Bill Curry.
A National Post article by Kevin Libin.
A column in the Sun chain of newspapers by Tim Naumetz.
Popularity: 40% [?]
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:55 am
Trademark already in existence. Well then they’d better switch to next best…”Green Shaft>” It’s already being widely circulated and used. Just amazing. Good catch!
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:09 am
Where were the liberals when the copyright bill was being debated. Would be fun to rewatch some of their rantings.
Will they be forced to change the name of the Plan.
Dion will say, it’s not fair.
Next to go after them, the maker of the Clapper.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:37 am
I just called them (416-925-9665) , a very professional (young?) lady answered the phone. I mentioned to her what I have been hearing, and asked her simply right away if they were affiliated with the Liberal party, she almost “knee-jerk” shot back by saying “NO”. She mentioned that they are dealing with them on the issue. Seems like a no issue to me, Liberals should “cease and dismantle” before this thing grows. I made it clear that I was an engineer who was interested in possobily doing business with them, which I am, but wanted to make sure they have no political affiliation. I honestly don’t care what party someone belongs to, but when your company starts supporting getting involved in some policitical plan, I don’t have the stomach for that………………THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH THEM AT ALL. To be honest, she seemed annoyed with whole situation, I am sure I was not the only one calling about this. lol. Good luck to their company, I would sue the Liberals pants off if they copyrighted something of mine and didn’t stop right away and give some practical compensation. I would do the same for the CONS or NDP, this is a non-political issue, companies get ruined for people not doing their homework.
So…………Stephan Dion, if you are reading this “cease and dismantle”
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Liberals don’t care about breaking the law……. they are the
Mighty Liberals and the unwashed masses should just shut up
and take what ever the Liberals shove down your throat.
If these LIEberal clowns can’t even get the name correct without
breaking the law …………. how the he!! can they implement
a very complicated and convoluted Environment plan ????
Humm………….. 2 Billion $$$ over budget on gun registry, Billion plus lost HR Dept.
And the 60 to 100 million stolen from tax payers in AD Scam.
Liberals should not be allowed to put any financial ideas forward until they pay back
Canadian tax payers the money they stole.
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Could you imagine if we were buying gas today with Liberal ‘Chretien’ dollars worth 60 cents?
Liberals are above the law because they have had years to stack the Courts with their friends. It’s just the way it is.
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:06 pm
According to Jason C, dion has spent almost 2 years to finetooth this plan. Funny no one checked out the name for registration. I hope they get sued, that would at least make liberals revenue neutral, but in reverse. Maybe that is the reason behind the shaft, to get money to pay off the lawsuits.
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Liberals steal everything…
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:06 pm
If you liked Sandy’s catch today you are going to love this:
Don’t miss it.
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Will have to watch the news tonight…….. see if Liberal MSM
pick this story up??
At least blog’s are on the ball: 2 links below:
Splatto
Trademark
[Ed. Note: Links cleaned up.]
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Thanks for putting the update Jack. Matt and I have been e-mailing each other all day. I was glad he ran with it, calling the company, etc. And, it all started with an e-mail to me from regular reader, Bert. Well done overall.
Just goes to show how powerful the blogosphere is. Let’s now see if the MSM picks up on it.
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I saw someone interview this lady last week, either Duffy or Newman, can’t remember which show. Maybe it was just the news on CTV, but they asked her if she was going to sue and she said they hadn’t decided yet. She said they had never been linked to the Liberals but had worked with the NDP. Did anyone else hear this interview.
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
“Let’s now see if the MSM picks up on it.”
I don’t see how they can avoid it, Sandy. Matt mentions that CTV knew about it last week. Why the silence?
Are they trying to mislead us?
“I know — silly question.”
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Did Bob Rae tie Dion’s shoelaces together when he wasn’t looking?
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I scanned CBC, CTV, TO Star, G & M, plus Canoe not a peep ?
Now if this was the CPC, it would HEADLINE News and Libs and NDP
would be calling for the RCMP to investigate.
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Great work, Sandy and Matt!!!
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
They’re waiting for their lawyers to call back, Tim. Truth be told, if I were an editor of a major news organization pushing this new green plan hard I would be biting my nails right now.
They all could be on the hook and the “Green Shift” company could end up really green (with dollars).
What a windfall!
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Someone just left a comment at COTM that there is a Green Shift Corporation in New York City. I did a google search and it seems to be quite separate. But, I have added a “Further Update” to mention this fact and passed the information on to Matt at Step to the Right — since he is doing such a good job of following up on this lead.
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Talk about amateur hour! The Libs have totally lost all credibility. Just imagine if these clowns were running the country. Can’t wait to see how Cherniak and Garth spin this one!
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Oh, oh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYxvVe9y5NQ&feature=related
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:20 pm
There appears to be some confusion regarding the term “Copyright” and “Trademark”. They are not interchangeable:
Copyright
Trademark
Just to clear that point up.
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Thanks Jack. I should have done that this morning when I put this up. But, interesting. We can get an idea on how this is going to be handled by the Liberals and the media. A commenter at COTM referred to it as “a silly supposition.” My reply was that time would tell.
We’ll have to let the lawyers figure this one out. But, I still cannot imagine who slipped up in the LPC or Official Opposition Leaders office. It was the first thing they should have done.
You can bet if the shoe were on the other foot, we’d be hearing this on 57 channels — but now nothing is on.
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:49 pm
On that same point. Can you imagine anyone using Nike’s swoosh or the McDonald’s golden arches and then saying allegations of trademark infringement was “a silly supposition.”
It depends on how the Liberal Party wants to use this company’s name because TM is a form of intellectual property.
In actual fact, all the Liberals have to do is change the name of their plan. We’ll have to watch and see how they do that.
But the bottom line is that they are certainly NOT a government in waiting.
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:54 pm
They are speechless. You have boggled their tiny minds (I’m laughing).
I picked the graphic I used because it reminds me of another “juggernaut” we heard about several years ago from the left. All smoke and noise.
It seemed appropriate and who knew it was going to be derailed so soon?
I didn’t.
This is one for the history books.
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Not only that, but I think I found where they got the idea for that new Liberal TV ad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUOhjW2AXM
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:08 pm
You may be right, Paul. I remember that ad now.
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:32 pm
paulsstuff good one, join the liberals and catch the clap.
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Archie; Oh too funny! Everyone is right that if it was the CPC that had slipped up the MSM would be screaming for blood. This is another example of the might of the blogs. Because of the quick thinking of a few this will not be able to be covered up. Again the MSM will sheepishly be ‘johnny come late’ to the party. Cheers.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Disclaimer: This site is authorized by the Federal Liberal Agency of Canada, registered agent for the Liberal Party of Canada.
It is not affiliated with Green Shift Incorporated. The following is a link to the Green Shift Incorporated website: http://www.greenshift.ca
… Thanks to A Step To The Right (Who also phoned the company)
http://www.splatto.net/blog/?p=852
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I think “Goof Shift” is available for use by the Liberals. “Grief Shift” could be held in reserve as a third alternative if necessary.
Whatever new name they choose, it will forever come to mean “fumble duddle” rather than cogent plan. For that reason, they will tough it out on using the name - or look like complete a**es every time they utter the new catch phrase. Dion has finally managed to unite the country - with coast to coast snickering.
PMSH should now agree to debate “Green Shift” with Dion. Not the new name, the old, now inoperable name. By the way, Liberals, the HoC is the forum for debate - did you forget that too? You can debate PMSH any time you wish - just get it on the order paper. It’s why we, the people, fund the HoC. Remember us? the ones who work to fund your deceptive schemes?
(Editor’s Note: Had to remove a paragraph for legal reasons.)
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:46 pm
LG
PMSH should now agree to debate “Green Shift” with Dion. Not the new name, the old, now inoperable name. By the way, Liberals, the HoC is the forum for debate - did you forget that too? You can debate PMSH any time you wish - just get it on the order paper. It’s why we, the people, fund the HoC. Remember us? the ones who work to fund your deceptive schemes?
—————————————————————
I agree ……… but every time the MSM ask Harper or CPC MPs
about the debate, they should clearly tell MSM Green Shift is
copyright and trademarked and they dont know what plan the Liberals want to debate until they change the name.
My God, if Liberals cannot even get the name correct how can Canadians trust them with tens of billions of dollars and the entire Canadian economy.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
“The Pulse of the Nation” are more interested in this SCANDAL, PMO pushes, CTV pushes back …
http://thestar.blogs.com/politics/2008/06/pmo-pushes-ctv.html?cid=119879860#comments
“Yesterday, at the end of CTV’s Question Period broadcast, there was some strong and remarkable evidence of journalists pushing back against the Prime Minister’s Office. Rather than explain the story, why don’t I just put the transcript here? I would imagine we’ll be hearing more about this in the days to come:” … Susan Delacourt on Politics, Toronto Star
CRAIG OLIVER: And it was accurate for me to say they had both turned us down. However, they did offer us Jason Kenney, the Minister of Multiculturalism, to attack the government’s [sic] green plan.
I wonder if they’ll notice that all comments, including mine, ”attack the government’s green plan.”? Oh, and ”Yesterday” was a SUNDAY.
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Our tax dollars at work folks.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/23/khadr-letter.html?
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Congrats to Canoe Sun Chain, the first of the MSM to run the
Green Shift TM — trademarked story on the net.
I watch Global, CTV, and CBC national news and not a sniff
of this story.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2008/06/23/5966091-cp.html
June 24th, 2008 at 6:39 am
“What they’re doing is so blatantly unethical,” Ms. Wright said.
Just how much more will it take to convince the 30% or so Canadians (including the MSM) that still worship at the alter of liberalism to finally ‘get it’?