Donald Trump seeks to copyright 'You're Fired' catchphrase
- Thread starter Bells
- Start date
I would agree that this is totally ridiculous, getting a patent for a phrase which is quite commonly used. Perhaps I should file a request for "Hello" or "Shit happens", perhaps it is going to make me rich. 
Shmoo -
In the 1980s America saw the rise of a certain class of "family" restaurant. Boisterous, crowded, styled after the "bar & grille" trend, names like Red Robin come to mind; around Puget Sound we've had all sorts of fish restaurants, and through the 1990s a few Italian places take swipes after the classic Spaghetti Factory restaurants.
In most of these, singing "Happy Birthday" was par for the course. And then one day they all stopped singing "Happy Birthday" and started singing their own made-up birthday tunes, well-abused by The Simpsons (3F02):
At any rate ... yeah, there is a reason the restaurants all went to other birthday songs. I think "Happy Birthday" is presently owned by Michael Jackson.
In the 1980s America saw the rise of a certain class of "family" restaurant. Boisterous, crowded, styled after the "bar & grille" trend, names like Red Robin come to mind; around Puget Sound we've had all sorts of fish restaurants, and through the 1990s a few Italian places take swipes after the classic Spaghetti Factory restaurants.
In most of these, singing "Happy Birthday" was par for the course. And then one day they all stopped singing "Happy Birthday" and started singing their own made-up birthday tunes, well-abused by The Simpsons (3F02):
(The episode guide for #3F02, "Bart Sells His Soul," also notes a direct reference to the Spaghetti Factory, but a few restaurants are tagged in that one.)
At any rate ... yeah, there is a reason the restaurants all went to other birthday songs. I think "Happy Birthday" is presently owned by Michael Jackson.
People will still be able to sing Happy Birthday in their own homes, they just may run into problems when they sing the song in public venues. However, when will "You're Fired" be used in public venues?
I agree though, this copyright should not go through. For the sake of other television shows which will then have to use less effective phrases like "YOU'RE THROUGH!" and "YOU'RE SMOKED!"
I agree though, this copyright should not go through. For the sake of other television shows which will then have to use less effective phrases like "YOU'RE THROUGH!" and "YOU'RE SMOKED!"
That article has to be mistaken. One can not copyright a phrase like "you're fired". If it could be done then Trump would already have the rights to it, as a copyright is an inherent intellectual property right (Though you need to register it if you want to be able to defend your claim to it in court with any effectiveness) But being that there are cameras on this guy all the time and it's well known what he says he'd already have a solid case for ownership.
What he's probably doing is trying to register "You're Fired" as a trademark. Trademarks can be given to short phrases (like Fox news' Fair and Balanced) as well as names and titles.
Copyright is the sort of thing that protects an artists rights to a individual work, such as one song, a painting (or other image) or a body of text. A trademark is a little different though, harder to get, but provides greater legal protection than a copyright.
What he's probably doing is trying to register "You're Fired" as a trademark. Trademarks can be given to short phrases (like Fox news' Fair and Balanced) as well as names and titles.
Copyright is the sort of thing that protects an artists rights to a individual work, such as one song, a painting (or other image) or a body of text. A trademark is a little different though, harder to get, but provides greater legal protection than a copyright.
i'm sure this would only apply in an entertainment context, i.e. other tv show hosts cannot adopt "you're fired" as their catch phrase. that short three note song at the end of mennen commercials "byyyyy mennen" is copywritted by a professor at my school who wrote it. i can sing "byyyyy mennen" all i like but i couldn't use it to sell something, other than mennen.
Since the apprentice did so well in the ratings, there will definetly be sequals and spinoffs (with and/or without Trump). Also, the "You're Fired" catch phrase is probably a big reason why people watch the show. Trump on 60 minutes said that "You're Fired" phrase was completely spontaneous and from HIM. So obviously Trump will want some royalties when next year the networks will release a show called "You're Fired".
Amazing what America has come to.
Amazing what America has come to.