Protecting K Street's Good Name

Grover Norquist is sick and tired of do-gooder Republicans using the name of the "K Street Project" as shorthand for corruption. He's not going to stop connecting Republicans to lobbyists or anything - he just wants to trademark the name "K Street Project" so they can't use it anymore.

"Some people say Kleenex when they mean tissue," Norquist said. "We will jealously guard the real phrasing the way Kleenex and Coca-Cola do. We will sue anyone who says it wrong and make lots of money."

Nice sentiment, but the Q-rating of the "K-Street Project" is a little closer to Ayds than Coca-Cola.

(Hat tip: Sean Higgins)

Comments

[joe]

Regarding The K Street Project, a novel term, such as The K Street Project, can lose its protection if enough people use the term The K Street Project enough times that The K Street Project enters common usage.

If Mr. Norquist wanted The K Street Project to remain a protected term, he should have taken steps to protect The K Street Project sooner, because The K Street Project has entered common usage, as the appellation for the sleazy pay to play (or hire to play) scam set up between the Republican Party and the lobbying firms in Washington.

On a side note, how bad is it that the Republicans actually figured out a way to corrupt lobbyists? Does't it usually work the other way?

[John]

Damn,

There goes another great potential band name.

[anomdebus]

joe,
If it were all referring to that specific program, then it wouldn't be diluted. I personally have never heard anyone use that term to refer to a general pay-to-play scam. (i.e. "What kind of K Street Project you running over there?")

[ekbunny]

I personally have never heard anyone use that term to refer to a general pay-to-play scam. (i.e. "What kind of K Street Project you running over there?")

Let's put it into common usage. Everyone start using it in common day language. It'll spread. Once it's in a movie or on some asinine show like the O.C., it's fair game, right?

[Shem]

If it were all referring to that specific program, then it wouldn't be diluted.

Not necessarily. Aspirin is a good example of a product that lost it's trademark protection in the US because the company (in this case Bayer) moved too slowly in protecting their trademark. In Canada and most of Europe it's still a protected brand name, albeit no longer held by Bayer.