Mongols Biker Gang -- Registered Trademarks Apply
Yeah, yeah, a thousand law enforcement guys rolled out over six states and whacked the Mongols motorcycle gang but good -- murder, racketeering, drugs, money-laundering charges, the whole shebang.
But here's the sneaky genius part, as The Times' story detailed: The Mongols have trademarked their name, which is usually accompanied by their revered emblem of a guy who looks like Genghis Khan, wearing a ponytail and astride a chopper. It's such a big deal to the Mongols that they control their emblem more rigidly than Chanel. The indictment says that one member got permission to get the insignia tattooed on his head -- after he shot two rival gang members.
Soooo ... the feds want the United States government to own that trademark.
That means anyone caught wearing a Mongols patch without the feds' permission could get busted for it right then and there, evidently for trademark infringement!
Okay, so it's a little like the knockoff police going after fake Louis Vuittons. But don't laugh -- remember, they got Capone for tax evasion.



great news support 81
Posted by: dicko | October 22, 2008 at 04:47 PM
Here's the link.
Posted by: Jon Healey | October 22, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Does anyone have a link to the original article? ...or is it somewhere so obvious I'm just missing it?
Posted by: Ken Shultz | October 22, 2008 at 10:37 AM