AVENTURA, Fla. – A Miami-area man is seeking to profit from the phrase “Je Suis Charlie,” which became a rallying cry after a terrorist attack in Paris that killed 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo magazine.
According to a Jan. 16 filing at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Latin American Trading Group Inc. applied for a trademark on the words, which translate to “I Am Charlie.” The application says the phrase would be used on a range of products.
READ MORE: #JeSuisCharlie now one of the most popular hashtags in Twitter history
The company’s listed director, Joe Marc Gershon, does not have a listed phone number and could not be reached for comment Friday.
Coral Gables trademark attorney David Friedland predicts the application will not be approved because trademark holders must be the phrase’s source.
READ MORE: ‘Charlie Hebdo’ launches app as demand for Prophet Muhammed cover grows
Friedland says people often waste hundreds of dollars in attempts to trademark popular phrases like “Boston Strong” because they don’t understand the law.
The satirical French publication was attacked Jan. 7.
In the following two days, Islamic extremist gunmen in Paris also attacked a kosher market and a policewoman. Twenty people were killed in the attacks, including the three gunmen.
READ MORE: Why was Charlie Hebdo magazine targeted in the Paris shooting?
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