Occupy the Patent Office?

Entrepreneurs have started to realize there could be a buck or two to be made off this Occupy movement.

A legal battle is brewing over who has the rights to the phrase "Occupy Wall Street," as competing applications have been filed with the U.S. patent office to get permission to turn a buck or two off of the anti-corporate message. Wylie Stecklow, a lawyer, has filed one application on behalf of the protesters at New York's Zuccotti Park, arguing that the phrase belongs to them and that no one else should be profiting off of their idea. However, one Vince Ferraro, a businessman from Arizona, has similarly filed a patent on the phrase, and he says if he wins out, he "believes there are opportunities in commerce not directly related to the movement.” Take that for what it's worth, but to us, that sounds like "Occupy Wall Street" mousepads and beer cozies are in Ferraro's eyesights. And that's not even mentioning theoccupystore.com, which has apparently foregone any concerns over intellectual property with their products, but it looks like the place to go if you want your personalized hoodie screaming "Occupy Topeka" or wherever. At least they say that they'll donate 10 per cent of everything they make to the protest movement.