'Anonymous' for sale

Aug 01

Web Only

'Anonymous' for sale

Netizens react as a French company commodifies Anonymous imagery.

Image via Flickr user the|G|â„¢ (Creative Commons)

French design company Early Flicker has trademarked the logo and slogan of online hacking collective Anonymous. The anarchists are well-known for their collective nature, which allows them to carry out large-scale cyber-attacks on officials, corporations, and institutions. Following realisation of the filing, Anonymous Francophone posted a video retaliation (in French) that proclaims: "an idea is not for sale"!

View the story "'Anonymous' for sale" on Storify'Anonymous' for saleNetizens react as a French company commodifies Anonymous imagery.Storified by The Stream · Wed, Aug 01 2012 12:56:17Anonymous « n'est pas à vendre »anonymousfrancophoneShortly after, Anonymous released an English-language announcement of Operation 'AnonTrademark':Anonymous: Operation AnonTrademark (#OpAnonTrademark) [ENGLISH]anonymousopnewsThough Early Flicker filed the trademark in mid-February of 2012, Anonymous followers, tech journalists, and web-security experts were tipped off on Monday by a tweet from @asher_wolf.This French company is trying to trademark Anonymous' image and logo. *Grabs popcorn* http://bases-marques.inpi.fr/Typo3_INPI_Marques/getPdf?idObjet=3897981_FMARK-1,FMARK-2Asher WolfThe tweet linked to a copy of the filing, which has been confirmed by Forbes and the French Institut National De La Propriété Industrielle.Institut National De La Propriété IndustrielleAJstreamAnonymous members speculate that the image was lifted from a flag posted on Wikimedia Commons in 2009. The un-copyrighted image was available to the public through Creative Commons use.Wikimedia CommonsAJstream"I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions..." http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anonymous_Flag.svg Logo pulled from flag 25Jan2009AnonymousThe filing gives Early Flicker authority to reprint the logo and slogan of the group on everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs. Ebay.frAJstreamThe merchandise is listed on their clothing website and Ebay boutique under categories like 'political t-shirts' and 'geek'.Pickapop.frAJstreamAnonymous is calling for followers worldwide to respond using the hashtag #OpAnonTrademark. The group has threatened to take down Early Flicker's online business, and have reportedly released personal information of the company's manager, Apollinaire Affret.AnonNews.orgAJstream#Anonymous Logo everyone should change their profile pic to -> #AnIdeaIsNotForSale #OpAnonTrademark #eFlicker #ReTweet http://pic.twitter.com/10w8FSojAnonymousFollowers responded, some pointing out the irony of branding an idea so widely associated with protests of trademark and censorship laws:You cannot trademark an idea. #OpEarlyFlicker #OpAnonTrademark #AnonymousAnonymousRT @ANUNIX: Anonymous follow @OpAnonTrademark | #OpAnonTrademark #Anonymous #ExpectUs | http://pic.twitter.com/OK39hkc2#OpAnonTrademarkRT @dailydot: We are legion™ http://awe.sm/a2B9f #OpAnonTrademark (cc @YourAnonNews, @AnonymousIRC)leftchickie@Kanor jested at the filing in French: "I am telling myself you could register 'Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité'?Je suis en train de me dire on pourrait déposer "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité" ? #OpAnonTrademarkKanorMany have expressed surprise that a company would take on such a prolific hacktivist organisation, speculating that the whole filing is simply an online troll for free publicity:Forbes.comAJstreamStill, Anonymous members have quickly rallied in response:#Anonymous Message - #OpAnonTrademark http://goo.gl/87oZr This will never happen! Seems a little silly. Brand in the #PublicDomainAnonymous MediaHOWTO made by #Anonymous: Q: "how do I get a shitstorm?" A: "try to reserve the anonymous logo for itself"#OpAnonTrademark4ntibiotic#OpAnonTrademark #eflicker U can expect us @ ur base very soon. #beprepared @AnonPR_Network @Anon_Operations @Anon_Central @AnonymousIRCnaSignalBelow, @Geekmag tweets in French, "Early Flicker has registered the Anonymous logo, watch out for the backlash"!Early Flicker à déposé le logo Anonymous, attention au retour de baton! http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2012/08/01/97001-20120801FILWWW00281-anonymouslogo-la-reponse-d-early-flicker.php #OpAnonTrademarkGeekMag@AnonymousPress used the group's own slogan to summon support:"WE are Anonymous, WE are Legion, WE do not Forgive, WE do not Forget, Expect us! " #AnIdeaIsNotForSale #OpAnonTrademark #eFlicker #ReTweetAnonymous

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