While I’m not usually a big fan of Al Franken, all Fox News’ lawsuit against him — suing him for the title of his new book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right, is just plain stupid.
Fox News registered “Fair & Balanced” as a trademark in 1995, the suit says.
Which is ludicrous to have been able to do so to begin with (leaving aside the content on Fox News, it seems like far too generic a phrase to trademark — ethically, if not legally).
Franken’s “intent is clear – to exploit Fox News’ trademark, confuse the public as to the origins of the book and, accordingly, boost sales of the book,” the suit said.
Riiiight. Al wants people who watch Fox News to think that this is a Fox News book, and therefore buy it, because Fox News readers are not only big fans of Al Franken, but all of them would be interested in a book with that title.
Now — exploiting the trademark? That’s called parody, guys. And it was, last time I checked, fair use.
I’m not sure what Fox News (or their lawyers) thought something like this suit would accomplish — but what it will accomplish is plenty of free publicity for Franken’s latest tome.
(via InstaPundit)
Yeppers.
Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch must be kicking themselves silly this afternoon.
It went from the 20’s to at 15;21 mst it #4 with a bullet!
Go Al!