Update 5/26/11: that didn’t take long (via the LA Times):
Faced with a public relations firestorm, Walt Disney Co. said it had withdrawn its application to trademark the moniker “SEAL Team 6” for use on games, snow globes and TV shows.
Kerfuffle over, though I’d bet someone at Disney has had a bad week.
Well, it was a pretty mickey mouse move….
SEAL Team 6 isn’t going down without a fight.
The Navy is challenging Disney’s attempt to trademark the name of the elite squad responsible for taking out the world’s most wanted terrorist.
On May 3, just two days after Usama bin Laden was killed in a raid on the Al Qaeda leader’s Pakistan compound, Disney filed trademark applications to use the name “SEAL Team 6” on everything from entertainment, toys, video games, clothing, footwear — even Christmas ornaments and snow globes.
via Navy Fights Mickey Mouse for SEALs Trademark – FoxNews.com.
I’m thinking even a corporate behemoth like Disney has to see the light at the end of this tunnel. (“Is that a laser designator on my desk?”)
When I saw that news story, I couldn’t believe it at first. Then it made me mad.
BUT, if they can make a licensing arrangement with the Navy to slap “SEAL Team 6” on a bunch of merchandise for a small slice of the profits, there are probably substantial bucks to be made that can be put to good use for SEAL veterans and their families.
Or, you know, the filthy rich Mouse could do a pass-through deal in which they only recover their costs so all the profits go to programs and services for SEAL vets and families. If they had any decency–which obviously they don’t.