back to article Anonymous declares war after French firm trademarks its logo

A French company trying to trademark the Anonymous logo and slogan for commercial purposes has inspired an angry response from a team claiming to be affiliated with the hacking group. The company Early Flicker, or E-Flicker, has registered the headless man logo and the slogan 'We are Anonymous, We do not forgive, We do not …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh dear.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Pirate

      @moiety

      "oh dear"

      Not if its on purpose. This could be a way to get the script kiddies to reveal themselves as they attack this company with their self righteous kiddie anger.

      1. Wize

        Re: @moiety

        Maybe its lack of communication within Anonymous. It might be members who have registered it but the guy sending out the threats doesn't know who they are.

      2. Fibbles

        Re: @moiety

        This time it's not actually self righteous kiddie anger. E-Flicker has copyrighted an image and a slogan they quite clearly did not create or buy the rights to. I'd say the Anonymous lot are justifiable in their anger, although considering their stance towards piracy it's also very hypocritical.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          WTF?

          Re: @moiety

          "E-Flicker has copyrighted an image and a slogan they quite clearly did not create or buy the rights to."

          You do realise that anonymous have no qualms about using images and styles from the V for Vendetta comics, right? If they were so bloody intelligent and creative they might at least try and create their own. However given that they're mostly just a bunch of juvenile keyboard warriors who think they'll change the world inbetween bouts of Call of Duty without an original thought in their heads its hardly a surprise.

          "Anonymous lot are justifiable in their anger"

          So let me get this straight - these muppets hack into systems and release personal data and cause generally chaos internet chaos wherever they go , yet THEY are justified in some company ripping off a style they themselves ripped off from a film and comic book? Give me a friggin break.

          1. Beachrider

            Re: @moiety

            On top of that, no one copyrighted ANYTHING. They registered a trademark for specific commercial use. Unless Anonymous shows that THEY already used this image in a similar commercial way, this turns into lawyer-speak. Anonymous hasn't done much of that yet...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    AND

    It also means that company could be held accountable for anything done under "their logo" or "their banner".

    1. mafoo
      Trollface

      Re: AND

      /me gets popcorn and pulls up a chair to watch

      This could be fun.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: AND

        Oh yes. On the one side, a group who studiously avoids any accountability and thus seems to think it's above the law. Ergo, anything they do in one and the same place is a risk as it may expose members.

        On the other side, a company who used the lawless state of the other party to play games and take something that has no *official* owner but which is definitely NOT theirs (unless they want to accept the associated liability like another commenter already remarked), and thus did the electronic equivalent of bashing a nest of bad tempered hornets without an escape route.

        This could get very entertaining. Or boring, because it's not exactly hard to work out what Anonymous is going to do..

        Anonymous, but not a member of THAT Anonymous..

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: AND

          "It also means that company could be held accountable for anything done under "their logo" or "their banner"."

          So, if I create a logo. Some one rips it off and sticks it on a tshirt. They then rob a bank with their faces hidden and the only recognisable mark is the t-shirt. By this argument I would be responsible.

          By having copyright over the logo, the company could sue Anonymouse for copyright infringement, but that's about it. How can they be held responsible for someone breaking their copyright.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: AND

        Pops top on beer and giggles uncontrollably...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: AND

      It also means that company could be held accountable for anything done under "their logo" or "their banner".

      E-Flicker: Hello is that the police? This is E-Flicker we've been hacked by Anonymous.....

      Police: But aren't you Anonymous?

      E-Flicker: Only when we want to make money from it, but not in this case

      Police: So have you hacked yourself or not?

      E-Flicker: While we are Anonymous we aren't technically Anonymous

      Police: I think you'd better come down the station and hand yourself in

      1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
        Facepalm

        Re: Re: AND

        Please don't be too silly. All E-Flicker are doing is trademarking the symbol for use on merchandise, not accepting responsibility for the action of a load of skiddies. It's exactly the same as a clothing manufacturer in Thailand making fancydress shirts with the NaziI logo on, it does not make them responsible for the Nazi's actions. What E-Flicker are doing is making money out of the appetite of some numpties to identify themselves with the Anons, not becoming Anons.

        1. Steve I
          FAIL

          Re: AND

          "It's exactly the same as a clothing manufacturer in Thailand making fancydress shirts with the NaziI logo on, it does not make them responsible for the Nazi's actions."

          A. No it's not. It would be if the clothing manufacturer onwed the trademark on the swastika and the phrase "Sieg Heil". They might then have some explaining to do re events carried out under their trademark.

          B. Godwin's Law. You lose.

          1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
            FAIL

            Re: Re: AND

            ".....No it's not...." How is it not? E-Flicker are simply trademarking the logo to stop other companies in France making cash from the gormless sheeple that will buy Anon-branded gear. In the same manner, companies making Nazi uniforms for fancydress are just taking advantage of Princes with too much money and too little sense (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4170083.stm). The difference is you have an emotional tie to the Anon brand due to you being a member of the herd, whilst you have no sympathy for the Prince seeing as you are probably an anti-monarchist, anit-capitalist, anti-anything-the-herders-tell-me-to-hate.....

            ".....Godwin's Law. You lose." You're just demonstrating your short attention span seeing as it was one of your fellow bleaters that introduced Nuremberg into the thread. I suggest you need to go buy an Anon-branded T-shirt from E-Flicker so others can spot that you aren't worth wasting intellect on.

          2. Scorchio!!
            FAIL

            Re: AND

            "B. Godwin's Law. You lose."

            Go and read it; Godwin merely stated "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches". It is not a law, it is merely a supposed observation of probability (one that I've not seen investigated, and I'm not sure that I would like to be responsible for designing the research to investigate such catch all silliness) but, there again, as an online discussion grows longer the probability that anything may be said or compared grows. There is nothing particularly special, insightful or even scientific about Godwin's 'law', which is not a law at all. It is a banal, catch all quotable passage that has captured people's imaginations and even caused them to remark that the conversation must be over, Godwin's 'law' has been confirmed. Very weak and, even if it has been confirmed, so what? What fresh insight do we derive from this?

            It is also fair to say that the owner of a symbol cannot be held responsible for something done by people adopting it as their symbol. Otherwise the Pringles logo would have to fall due to the use of their clothing by violent, right wing football thugs, ditto Ben Sherman 40 years ago; latterly, given their direct connection with the German war machine Hugo Boss would not be allowed to manufacture fashion goods today, since they were responsible for the notoriously fashionable, glamorous nature of German military clothing during the war, and there is a right wing group in modern Germany that wears garments with a logo (I can't recall the specifics and will carefully avoid naming the one that I think it is) that they also use as a symbol.

            Much that was symbolic of German industrial, design and scientific prowess and associated with the events that culminated in a meeting on the Soltau-Lüneberg heath sometime in May 1945 still exists. Look at modern Audi design, particularly the Audi TT, Mercedes, IG Farben... ...the culture of a nation was embedded, poured, moulded into the events that overtook Germany, partly because a charismatic - you might say daemonic - leader browbeat the chancellor into giving in, even though he lacked the neccessary elected seats (by one), who bullied, browbeat and frightened his own people, shaping their will in the manner of steel being bashed on an anvil, frightening some, capitalising on the resentment in others (after WW I Lloyd-George was disgusted at the reparations being inflicted on the Germans, pointedly saying it would lead to another war, and he was correct, or this discussion would not be taking place now). It is unsurprising that the cultural symbols hijacked by these people survived, and came out on the other side.

            By another way of illustration, remember this; the Swastika was taken from an older culture and reversed: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4183467.stm Perhaps we are going to hold them to account for WWII, instead of the French who felt that German war reparations should be so vicious that their recession and currency crisis would cause the price of a loaf of bread to require a full barrow of notes in payment... ...or perhaps the Germans, who forced the French to sign a humiliating treaty in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, or the French before them who inflicted the same on them, and so on back in history, each regime marching under its own (monarchical) symbols.

            Godwin? Godwin amuses but contributes no enlightenment.

            1. Anonymous Dutch Coward
              Go

              Re: AND

              Nice contribution. Still, it's no accident Godwin mentions Nazis instead of something else.

              Much more likely to crop up than, say, anti-monarchism (though I think we got that too in this thread), and even socialist or capitalist slogans/comparisons.

              Yes, it does amuse, but (to me at least) it also warns: don't descend into making extreme comparisons, even if the other posters are obviously mindless trolls who should be shown the error of their ways: nothing good can come of it.

              1. Scorchio!!

                Re: AND

                "Still, it's no accident Godwin mentions Nazis instead of something else."

                It is a fine example of the 'recency effect'. Otherwise he'd have been citing Roman barbarities, e.g. (...others include Turkish genocide of Armenians...). Forget the punishment of decimation, remember crucifixion punishments; hundreds of people crucified alongside roads and left to die and rot, the subsequent stench hanging around these necessary lines of communication for however long it takes for microbial organisms, carrion and scavengers to remove the trace. Think of the complete destruction of Carthage, the slaughter of of the city of Carthage's citizens, and enslavement of those who remained. Consider the Roman habit of putting Christians in the arena, to fight big cats with their bare hands. Lidice was nothing compared to Roman might and anger.

                If you prefer to focus on anti Semitism, remember the burning of Jews in York and Winchester, that Jews were ironically allowed back in this country because of the very barbaric Cromwell.

                OTOH, consider Stalin. Under his reign there were always some 11 million people in penal labour battalions, with a very high mortality rate, and that is merely the tip. The main reason why we do not focus on this example? Because during WWII our forerunners were taught that Stalin was our ally and, indeed, the myth continued all the way up to at least the 1980s, when students at the university where I studied told me of the virtuousness of Stalinism as opposed to western democracy.

                No one is clean, right down to the Barbary ('Libyan') pirates who raided Europe (particularly the south west of England and Ireland) for white gold, aka slaves. Throughout Europe they made off with at least 1.5 million.

                As to your last exhortation, I'm an ex soldier, I've seen active duty, I've been a lot closer to death as a civvy in a very dangerous job and I take most exhortations with a pinch of salt, especially when they are phrased as an instruction; I'm done with orders.

                HTH.

        2. cordwainer 1

          Er, about your banter....

          All good up until "numpties". Obviously, from context, a derogatory term, but would you be so kind, if you have a moment, as to provide a trustworthy translation? Many thanks,

          Literate but "missed that one" in California

          1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
            Boffin

            Re: Er, about your banter....

            http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Numpty

            A Scottish shortening of the term "numb skull", usually applied to someone that is amusingly naive or childish rather than being vindictively stupid, with the implication that they are a conman's dream.

      2. IglooDude

        Re: AND

        Due to an earlier discussion:

        E-Flicker CEO: Hey, how's our security?

        E-Flicker IT boss: We're good. We're firewalled, we require users to use complex passwords that change regularly, and we're filtering our inbound email for viruses. Ummm... why do you ask?

        E-Flicker CEO: I've got an idea for another T-shirt design that may cause some hard feelings. Don't worry about it for now, I'll keep you posted.

        Next day (after IT boss reads Register article):

        CEO: Hey, did you see all the free publicity we're getting?

        IT boss: I quit.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: AND

          IT Boss: Can I have some money for a pen test and PCI compliance?

          CEO: No, we've just spent all the dosh on your security and a new logo

          IT Boss: Ok, I'll improvise

          (anon, for trademark reasons)

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: AND

        "Who" is on First, "What is on Second" and "I Don't Know" is on Third

        1. William Boyle

          Re: AND

          And "I Don't Give a Damn" is the short stop! A&C cleaned it up a bit over time and the short stop became "I Don't Care!"... Either works here I think. :-)

          1. William Boyle

            Re: AND

            They also used "I Don't Give a Darn!" for SS, but the original was as I posted...

  3. LinkOfHyrule
    Paris Hilton

    comprehensively pwned

    That phrase made me do a LOL.

    I imagine these French dudes will be part of a forthcoming comprehensive pwnage strategy as a result of their marketing genuis...

    Paris because she's fully comprehensive herself in many ways.

  4. g e

    Bear well and truly poked

    Of course, as AC suggested, they should perhaps carry out everything as if they were that company....

    Chortle

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Who are these people ?

    That is all

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Who are these people ?

      Nobody knows - they're anonymous. Who are you?

    2. Pastis

      Re: Who are these people ?

      (One person) Company registration:

      EARLY FLICKER 520 522 020 R.C.S. PARIS Acronym : EFK

      Trade name : OR EBENE;CATCH THE WORLD;PICK YOUR WORLD;E-FLICKER;EFLICKER;EARLY FLICKER;EARLY CHALLENGE

      Head office 27 R JEAN GIRAUDOUX, 75116 PARIS

      Activity (NAF code) 6201Z (Computer programming)

      Legal form SOCIÉTÉ À RESPONSABILITÉ LIMITÉE À ASSOCIÉ UNIQUE

      Key figures at 31/12/2011 Revenue : 33 528 € Result : 349 €

      Registered on 03/03/2010

      Trade mark registration:

      No National : 12 3 897 980, 12 3 897 981 Dépôt du : 16 FÉVRIER 2012

      Early Flicker, EURL, 27 rue Jean Giraudoux, 75116 PARIS.

      Early Flicker, M. Apollinaire Auffret, 27 rue Jean Giraudoux, 75116 PARIS

  6. Tom 35

    Do they also like

    to kick bears and poke wasp nests with sticks?

    Maybe they just bought a load of insurance.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Do they also like

      Now *that's* what I call entrepreneurial risk taking. :)

    2. thefutureboy

      Re: Do they also like

      I poked a bamboo cane into a wasp nest once having been dared and goaded into it by a "friend"...only one wasp came out but it made a beeline (!) for my eyes and stung me on my eyebrow. I have not done this again.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Do they also like

      This should even happen. Prior use should mean that they can't copyright it anyway.

      Basically, they're getting their IT fried for nothing.

      1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
        Boffin

        Re: Do they also like

        ".... Prior use should mean that they can't copyright it anyway...." Apparently that's not correct. Someone would have to come forward and claim ownership of the logo, and I don't think that's going to happen for very obvious legal reasons. It's just like smiley emoticons, used for years before being trademarked by the Smiley Company.

        If E-Flicker are smart, they will sub out the distribution and use an online retailer like eBay to handle the LOIC attacks. Then the Anonyputzs can hit the E-Flicker website all they like and it won't stop the cash rolling in. The fun bit will be if they try to register the logo in the States.

        1. DJ Smiley
          Devil

          Re: Do they also like

          And then the anon setup hundreds of fake ebay accounts bidding millions of pounds for teeshirts which will never sell.

          And ebay doesn't like refunding sellers who waste its time and resources by not actually making sales.

          Well done; got any other "clever" ideas?

          1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
            Facepalm

            Re: Re: Do they also like

            "And then the anon setup hundreds of fake ebay accounts bidding millions of pounds for teeshirts which will never sell...." So you're advocating fraud? Be very careful, a DDOS attack is troublesome but hard to put a value on the result of the crime, but fraud is very easy to prove in court and can be tied to the individual fake accounts. And some Anonyputz that gets caught might finger you as the "genius" that gave him the idea.

            1. foo_bar_baz
              Devil

              @Matt Bryant

              Here's an idea for you: rub some chili in your eyes. Now you can finger me in court all you like.

              1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
                FAIL

                Re: @Matt Bryant

                "Here's an idea for you...." Why am I SOOOOO not surprised your "idea" adds nothing intellectual to the thread.

                "....Now you can finger me in court...." Ew! I don't know what you and your Anonyputz chums get up to in private but I have desire to finger you anywhere! Besides, it will be the cops taking you to court if you mix with the Anons. Lay down with dogs, get fleas, etc.

                A quick search for "anonymous t-shirt" on eBay shows other sellers flogging items with the Anon barnd on them that look suspiciously like the ones that were on the E-Flicker website. Looks like the Anons will have to start intimidating every small-time entrepreneur that sticks his head over the parapet!

        2. Rob Dobs

          Re: Do they also like

          Um, no...

          To own a copyright you have to have created it or bought the rights, this gives you ownership over this content. A trademark is different. A trademark is just a "mark" under which your are trading your goods. You have to register the mark and what the goods are to protect you from others selling goods under the same mark.

          Apple owns that mark for computers, but there is Apple, reality, Apple education products etc that are different companies. Apple took there name from Apple records (another mark) and ran into trouble when the started selling music and not just computers.

          There is Infinity Realty, but they have no relation the car company etc.

          You can trademark something that is in public domain, but you have to specify what goods you are selling under that Mark. This is how company's like Banks Use Ben Franklin's name, or Baby Einstein uses old Albert's name.

          Some one could easily open a car dealership under the name Google or IBM.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Do they also like

            I like the way my Google drives, but never try and go anywhere evil in the damn thing ... every time you creep up to the border, the windows go dark and it speeds out of control. Obviously no relation to that California outfit.

          2. Michael Strorm Silver badge

            Nope, Baby Einstein paid for the privilege

            Rob Dobs:"You can trademark something that is in public domain, but you have to specify what goods you are selling under that Mark. This is how [..] Baby Einstein uses old Albert's name."

            Actually Baby Einstein *didn't* (and presumably weren't able to) do that. In fact, they pay a whole load of money for the privilege of giving their questionable learning aids a spurious association with Einstein's name. From the Wikipedia article:-

            "The Baby Einstein Company pays a significant amount of money to Corbis, on behalf of the estate of renowned physicist Albert Einstein, for the use of the Einstein name, though the products have virtually nothing to do with Einstein or his work (however, Disney uses a disclaimer that Einstein is a trademark of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)."

  7. Mike Moyle
    Devil

    Stupid thing to do...

    ...but funny as all hell!

    1. Beachrider

      Re: Stupid thing to do...

      It is dicey, but could be a dark genius. The irony is exquisite.

      It could also be a trap, as others have said.

  8. h4rm0ny

    So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

    ...they didn't have any part in the name or symbols promotion into public consciousness. And yet they'd like to take out a trademark making themselves the sole beneficiaries of any business around these things and legally prevent anyone else from doing so. Wow - love those social ethics.

    1. Cubical Drone

      Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

      They must be a subsidiary of Apple.

    2. Matt Bryant Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

      You could look at in the reverse by saying their actions provide a public service by helping to mark out the sheeple that will buy Anon-branded gear, in which case I say let them take some of the numpties' money.

      1. h4rm0ny
        Headmaster

        Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

        "You could look at in the reverse by saying their actions provide a public service by helping to mark out the sheeple that will buy Anon-branded gear, in which case I say let them take some of the numpties' money."

        Taking your disregard for other people's tastes and political values at face value, your argument is still incorrect. The current situation is that there is no trademark. Anyone can stick the Anonymous logo on a t-shirt and no copyright or trademark holder is likely to come forward and stop them. You have been arguing for a situation in which one company has a monopoly on this and can shut down any competition. Thus reducing the ease with which people can purchase or self-produce such clothing.

        Ergo, as someone who likes to feel superior to other people based on what they wear, you would be better off not supporting the trademark claim as it runs counter to your need to belittle others.

        1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
          FAIL

          Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

          "....your argument is still incorrect...." Still no evidence of that presented.

          "....The current situation is that there is no trademark...." Well, apart from the one on the UN logo used as part of the Anon logo, that is.

          ".....Anyone can stick the Anonymous logo on a t-shirt and no copyright or trademark holder is likely to come forward and stop them...." True. Why anyone would want to is another matter, but in this case the E-Flicker boyos have reaslised not only can they do it for profit, they can also legally block anyone else in France from producing items with said logo and selling them on (NOT producing for own use), and their plan will work because no Anon is actually going to make a legal challenge. Face it, this is what really gets you sheeple, the fact that the anonymity that the skiddies hide behind to avoid prosecution is now being used against them by others to make a nasty, capitalist profit. Which is also what makes it so deliciously funny to those of us that think the Anonyputzs are a waste of oxygen.

          1. Fibbles

            Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

            E-Flicker can't copyright the Anonymous logo or slogan because they're well known orphan works. They could use them on their t-shirts without paying royalties but there's always the chance the true copyright owner may come forward one day and sue for damages.

            Also Matt, you're an odious prick.

            1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
              Happy

              Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

              "E-Flicker can't copyright the Anonymous logo or slogan because they're well known orphan works...." I'm not sure that applies under French copyright laws, otherwise it is unlikely to have gotten this far.

              "....there's always the chance the true copyright owner may come forward one day and sue for damages...." Very unlikely as to do so would be to admit they were in the core of the Anonyputzs from the beginning, making them complicit with a number of Anon actions and therefore liable for prosecution. Of course, if the Anons were smart (I know, unlikely, but you never know), they would get one of their members already convicted and serving time to claim ownership.

              "....Also Matt, you're an odious prick." LOL, you know you're scoring hits when they start crying!

              1. Fibbles

                Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

                Anonymous aren't a banned organisation Matt. Even if one comes forwards as the copyright owner of the anon logo it means nothing. Anonymous is not a coherent enough group to be guilty by association.

                '....Also Matt, you're an odious prick." LOL, you know you're scoring hits when they start crying!'

                Since you throw around the ad hominems every other sentence I did't see any point in holding back. Somebody might as well tell you how you appear to the rest of the world.

                1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
                  FAIL

                  Re: Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

                  "Anonymous aren't a banned organisation Matt....." Maybe not, but the actions of their "members" most certainly have included criminal activity, and anyone owning up to having been in on the orgainsiation from an early stage would be of great interest to the police. If nothing else, they could be charged with inciting criminal behaviour even if they couldn't be linked with particular criminal acts.

                  ".....Somebody might as well tell you how you appear to the rest of the world." LOL, is that the word amongst your tiny crowd of hip'n'trendy buddies? It is so very obviosu that the "99%" is really just a small group of unemployable and unlikley to get laid skiddies, so why on Earth do you think I would be at all bothered by what you and your close cricle of fellow fingerers might think? Do yourself a favour and go find something useful to do.

          2. Scorchio!!
            Thumb Up

            Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

            Indeed and, just as it is not possible to defame anonymous people, it is impossible to be in breach of copyright in respect of anonymous people. To claim their supposed rights they must step forward. Admittedly the bracelets that will be fastened onto their wrists will not be fashionable, but who GAF?

      2. Daniel B.

        Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

        Given how many dudes in Mexico are wearing Anon paraphernalia (ie Guy Fawkes masks, which are trademarked for other reasons) but aren't actually part of the Anonymous HC group, I doubt that would work.

    3. dssf

      Re: So they didn't create the name or symbolism...

      Maybe they are angel/anonymous investors operating in stealth mode of a sort? Even if they are not, the REAL Anonymous might step up and purse suede them to hand over the funds.

      Interestingly, it could work out that the Marketing Anonymous inadvertently becomes a literal "store front" for the Hacking/Cracking Anonymous, and thus a proxy. The HC Anonymous might even gain enough control to deprive the opportunistic Marketing Anonymous from even DARING to think of calling it quits.

      This could prove to be an interesting topic in Marketing/Econ/Business/Business Law in colleges/unis the world over.

  9. AndrewInIreland

    Errrrr....

    Isn't this the outfit that uses a mask created by Alan Moore/David Lloyd? How much are they paying in royalties then?

    1. BristolBachelor Gold badge

      Re: Errrrr....

      I'm sorry? If I buy an item of clothing, I have to pay royalties each time I wear it?

      1. Shooter
        Unhappy

        Re: Errrrr....

        You would if the copyright/trademark lawyers had their way...

        1. veti Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: Errrrr....

          @shooter: Every time you buy an item of clothing, you pay royalties to the designer, unless the designer was some no-name wage slave.

          And if you try to take someone else's design and use it for your own commercial purposes, damn' right you'll pay royalties for it.

          @Tom Maddox: you'd have a point if the mask were actually a replica of a portrait of Guy Fawkes. It isn't, it's a highly stylised design loosely based on him.

          @Dave 126: film be damned, the mask design is part of the artwork for the original comic book.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Errrrr....

            @veti: @Dave 126: film be damned, the mask design is part of the artwork for the original comic book.

            But you would assume that when WB acquired the rights to make the film then they almost certainly also acquired the explotation rights for associated merchandise ... thus all those anontards are probably lining WB's pockets.

          2. Shooter
            Facepalm

            Re: Errrrr....

            @ veti:

            I'm afraid you rather missed the point of BristolBachelor's comment and my own response. Currently, you do *not* pay a royalty each and every time an article of clothing with a licensed design is worn (unless you make a habit of wearing your clothes once and then throwing them away), although I'm sure that certain big content companies would love to see that change.

    2. mafoo

      Re: Errrrr....

      ask the people who sell the masks in every fancy dress shop across the world ;)

    3. Tom Maddox Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: Errrrr....

      Probably the same amount that Moore and Lloyd are paying to the descendants of Guy Fawkes.

      1. Dave 126 Silver badge

        Re: Errrrr....

        I was under the impression that Alan Moore had passed up on any royalties for the film version of V for Vendetta. His three-volume book about the sexual fantasies of Dorothy (Wizard of Oz), Alice (out of Wonderland) and Wendy (who knew Peter Pan) was delayed in its UK publication because of issues surrounding the copyright of Peter Pan arising from association with a charity.

        Fuzzy drunk.

    4. AndrewG

      Re: Errrrr....

      Actually I think WB owns the trademark for the mask and anyone buying one pays them a royalty

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Umm...

        ...not really because very few of the people punting these masks out are paying `royalties` to anyone.

  10. Steve Evans

    Stupid or suspicious?

    It could be an incredibly stupid company (that owns no computers for safety reasons), or, as the more suspicious side of me suspects, a honey pot.

    What better way to catch the hornets than to poke them with a pointy stick?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Pirate

      Re: Stupid or suspicious?

      you might be onto something there...

    2. Alpha Tony

      Re: Stupid or suspicious?

      Exactly what I thought when I read the article. No-one is THAT stupid, so it must be a trap.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Stupid or suspicious?

        "It's a Tarp!"

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Stupid or suspicious?

          IT'S A CARP!

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Stupid or suspicious?

        > Exactly what I thought when I read the article. No-one is THAT stupid, so it must be a trap.

        Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

        -- Hanlon's Razor.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Stupid or suspicious?

          Are you claiming that that sentence was uttered by a razor owned by a guy called Hanlon? In either case just because someone sayd it dosent make it true.

          Never take for truth the utterance of razors.

          -- The Towel.

    3. Matt Bryant Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: Stupid or suspicious?

      ".....a honey pot....." Whether it is or not, expect the Web police to be watching all the Tor entry and exit points, monitoring the Anon chatrooms and tracing the usual suspects. The Anonyputzs will announce another pointless LOIC attack and the Web police will scoop up more of the Anon herders, who will grass on yet more of them. And if Anon don't do anything now after making such a fuss then they look even weaker.

      What the Anonyputz "commanders" fail to realise is that this could have been good for them - the likely buyers of any Anon-branded merchandise was likely to be more sheeple, so they could have raised their profile, but instead they went straight to childish-tantrum-setting-ten and started shrieking about capitalist exploiters. LOL, what a bunch of losers!

    4. Ken Hagan Gold badge

      Re: way to catch the hornets

      You could try sending agents to attach limpet mines to their nests whilst they're not looking.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This could be interesting...

    A quick web search for "Early Flicker" indicates they are a t-shirt selling company via the French arm of a well known online auction site. So that puts Anon vs. eBay on the card for the next few days.

    Anon-coward mask since they apparently have a tshirt with something similar on it.

  12. Pooka

    Wow...

    Just... Wow....

    A trademark claim and I don't think lawyers are going to get involved....

    Who's got the popcorn on... I gotta see this!

    1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Wow...

      "....A trademark claim and I don't think lawyers are going to get involved...." LOL, just think of the lawyers all around the globe that are crying into their beer at that idea!

  13. John A Blackley

    Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

    Every time I read a threat from Anonymous I expect it to end in "So there, Mr. Poopypants!"

    1. Richard Ball

      Re: Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

      Yes. Despite the apparent high production values of their videos, I am not inspired to rate them above the status of "bunch of dicks".

      If I were trying to run a web-based business they'd be dicks I'd try and keep away from. However I'm not and their home movies just don't convince me that they're ooooh-scary Bond-villains.

  14. bill 30

    But... they are French after all

    and into the valley they rode..... this might well be more fun than watching Faulty Towers

    1. Quantum Leaper
      Facepalm

      Re: But... they are French after all

      I guess they are all Rats and Gnomes? I never knew that Barcelona was in France, when did they move it?

    2. Graham Wilson
      Thumb Up

      @bill 30 -- Re: But... they are French after all

      Either they're sillier than Basil Fawlty and Manuel combined or it's a plot to bait Anonymous (but surely Anonymous wouldn't be that that stupid, would they?).

      Either way, it's front-row tickets time.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This should be good

    Jeeves, fetch the popcorn.

  16. Ramiro
    Thumb Up

    The shop is still up

    And the anonymous tee shirt features prominently on the first page of the site (maybe it's a referrer thing :)

    1. Dana W
      Happy

      Re: The shop is still up

      Not anymore. No anon shirts to be seen. Seems the genius who had this idea found his private life got a bit too public.

  17. Comments are attributed to your handle
    Thumb Up

    Professional trolling.

  18. Dave 126 Silver badge

    I've never heard of this company before today... now I have (but have since forgotten,. between reading the article and writing an Alan Moore-related post above). It might be that they haven't yet got around to buying any computers and are just after the publicity.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Olympics

    God, they're more protective of their IP than LOCOG and the International Olympic Committee.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: they're more protective of their IP than LOCOG and the IOC.

      This is simply profoundly hypocritical behavior on the part of Anonymous. Evidently only they are allowed to protect their IP. And the only permissible way to protect IP is vigilante-style. And anyone other than Anonymous, who attempts to protect their IP is also liable to vigilante-style "justice".

      What a bunch of little shits.

      1. h4rm0ny

        Re: they're more protective of their IP than LOCOG and the IOC.

        "Evidently only they are allowed to protect their IP"

        Actually you have it wrong. Anonymous are not trademarking their imagery (so far as I know), but wanting to prevent others from doing so. By analogy, there is a difference between kicking everyone else out of a park and stopping someone else from kicking everyone else out.

        1. Eddy Ito

          Re: they're more protective of their IP than LOCOG and the IOC.

          To add a minor point, I don't believe Anonymous makes a whole bunch of cash off the logo so in addition to kicking everyone else out of the park they also aren't turning the park into a factory.

  20. DrXym

    They're logo?

    Funny I could have sworn the whole Guy Fawkes mask thing was Alan Moore's idea in V for Vendetta. Anonymous may hide behind the mask but they did not coin it.

    1. King Jack

      Re: They're logo?

      Their Logo is not the mask. It's a man in suit with no head sitting in front of a globe. The persons in the videos wear masks of the type you describe. I suppose they could green screen out their heads but that would look creepy.

      They're anonymous, they are not logo. Expect them.

      1. Steven Roper
        Go

        Re: They're logo?

        "It's a man in suit with no head sitting in front of a globe."

        Exactly. And I'd really, really love to see the artist who originally created that image, sue the arse off these greedy, exploitative bastards for infringing HIS copyright. I will donate gladly to any fund that said artist wants to set up to fund the defence of his IP.

        But what really amazes me is that it was the French, and not the Americans, that came up with the idea of trademarking the Anonymous logo... it's the sort of thing I wouldn't have put past the good old US of A!

        1. Stephen McLeod Blythe
          Meh

          Re: They're logo?

          Not sure who Warner Brothers or any other rights holders are meant to sue for infringement of their intellectual property by Anonymous since eh, they're... Anonymous.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Now go away ...

    ...or I shall taunt you a second time-a!

    1. Stoneshop
      Pirate

      Re: Now go away ...

      Fetchez la vache!

  22. nuked
    Paris Hilton

    Well, it's either...

    ..unbelievably stupid or massively clever. Popcorn purchased regardless.

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well, there seems to be at least two people sure that the Anonymous logo is the Guy Fawkes mask. That bit is just your Batman to the Bruce Wayne. The Anonymous logo isn't the mask, it's the headless suit with the ? for a head, over the UN crest, basically. They trademarked that, and the anonymous tagline, the 'We are legion' statement.

    1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
      Facepalm

      " it's the headless suit with the ? for a head, over the UN crest"

      Which begs the question isn't the UN crest a trademarked logo?

  24. Khaptain Silver badge

    RTFA, it's not the mask

    It's not the mask that has been registered, it's the logo of the headless ( question marked) man in front of the wreath/world and also the slogan that has been registered.

    The registration papers name the buyer and give an address and if Anon are clever they will stalk their prey from a distance and wait....................

    They don't forgive, they don't forget.................I wonder if any of them worked in marketing...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      They don't forgive, they don't forget

      ...but they do get bored, like a kid with ADHD in Toys R Us. Pant wettingly excited with the new must have toy, but quickly gets fed up with it and moves on to the next shiny thing.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        LOL

        Excellent comment. ;)

  25. alain williams Silver badge

    This is what they have done to themselves

    http://tinyurl.com/cc8eq27

  26. Lghost
    Pirate

    Oh putain ..les cons

    ça va faire mal ;-)

    1. AfternoonTea
      Thumb Up

      Re: Oh putain ..les cons

      Yes, it will hurt.

  27. Peter Fox

    In times past...

    Battles have always been spectator sports. Fights and wagers were the big attractions. My contribution here is to show how we are drawn to watch combat. Some Herberts descending for public fisticuffs onto another bunch of Dubious Desmonds -- Don't we all enjoy it?

    To be honest violence repulses me, but this arms-length battering is FUN!

    There's this 'new' arena and perhaps we should look at ourselves.

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Fools rush in...

    Expect more Anonymous members to go to prison soon.

    1. Zombie Womble

      Re: Fools rush in...

      They haven't attacked yet, so it would seem they are wiser than you give them credit.

  29. Mussie (Ed)
    Mushroom

    Somone pass the popcorn

    I cant wait to watch this go down.......

  30. Rexx
    Big Brother

    What would be really funny.......

    is if this "company" turned out to be a government agency looking to take down Anonymous, and set this whole thing up to draw Anonymous into their grasp, like flies to a honeypot

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The French connection

    What's the bet this will end badly?

  32. lord_farquaad
    Thumb Up

    Cool ! Anonymous is going to bring EBay down ...

    http://stores.ebay.fr/Early-Flicker

  33. bruceld
    Pint

    Mmmm...

    This could be delicious.

  34. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This anonymous bunch

    they're just cowards.

  35. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Pass the popcorn please

    Poporn at the ready. Whether it's a publicity stunt, sheer stupidity or a honeypot, this should be entertaining :)

    1. thefutureboy
      Coat

      Re: Pass the popcorn please

      "Poporn"...is that rude pictures of the Teletubbies?

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why not to copy Hells Angels next?

    A Finnish SME company registered Hells Angels type logo. Was not using it very long...

    Difference here is, that the HA logo is apparently trademarked. Also the banners design is said to be trademarked,.

    1. dssf

      Re: Why not to copy Hells Angels next?

      I thought the US (or a Canadian) government or a US (Or Canadian provincial) state-level government confiscated the Hells Angels logos/trademarks.

      I would put up links, but some don't respond, and others may be from dubious sites.....

  37. Crisp
    Trollface

    This is the cancer that is killing /b/

    Fucking samefags posting unoriginal content.

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Whoops! I just lost a memory stick in Rue de Cul

  39. Greg D

    It's a trap!

    We need an Admiral Akbar pic :(

  40. Rhiakath Flanders
    Pirate

    Trap?

    Honestly, I think it's a trap for anonymous. Like previously said here, what better way to make them surface, than to steal their image?

    Also, this is a straight appeal to arrogance, or vanity.

    Anonymous has made a name for themselves, no doubt about it. What better way to hurt them than to take their name, and make anonymous become some french company?

    Definitely. I think this is either a trap, or an attempt to ridicule Anonymous.

    1. DJ Smiley

      Re: Trap?

      What if..... it was a french company _all along_.

      1000's of kids played by someone who used to visit 4chan who is now chuckling happily to themselves?

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Free publicity...

    ..for the French company then. Millions now know their name who didn't a week ago.

    1. John G Imrie

      Re: Free publicity...

      Not really, I got to you comment and have forgotten their name already.

  42. ByeLaw101
    Thumb Up

    Good marketing

    I've never heard of Early Flicker until now, damn good marketing if you ask me :)

    1. dssf

      Re: Good marketing

      Might this draw unwanted attention from Flickr?

  43. Trollslayer
    Mushroom

    There is a term for this

    Stupidly suicidal.

    BTW aren't this firm also trying to trademark items from the film 'V'?

  44. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Meh

    Anonymous are, for the most part, like a large group of kittens. They may have sharp pointy claws that can give you a bit of a scratch, but they are so easily distracted the annoyance won't last for long. At most this company can probably expect a day or two DDOS and then anonymous will have moved onto their next target.

  45. fLaMePrOoF
    Black Helicopters

    Caution...

    No doubt Anon can and will pw0n the retailer in question, but they should consider the possibility of a bait-and-trap from either the French or more likely another government (USA for example) designed to draw out members of the Anon hierarchy, hoping that they will get involved in actions personally.

    It just seems WAY too obvious and dumb to me to be a legitimate business move.

    1. bpfh
      FAIL

      Re: Caution...

      They seem to be a legit French IT services company (e flicker) , been around for a couple of years. Their site has imho a crap design for a bunch of webdesigners, but all their other websites in their portfolio all have a headoffice at the same address... To me it seems more like a buch of wanabee businessmen out to make a quick buck and who are about to get pwned...

    2. Johan Bastiaansen
      Happy

      Re: Caution...

      If something can be explained by sheer stupidity well then... Ockham's razor and all that.

  46. bpfh
    Trollface

    This will be interesting...

    It reminds me when one of our community managers came up with the idea of advertising on "one of the new social media sites like 4Chan".

    Just one response: "Don't".

    In any case, there are enough cash on delievery pizza parlours in Paris for this to get very interesting.... Does the 3651 prefix still work to make your number anonymous over here?

  47. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    There's a line that Q loudly exclaims: "Don't! Provoke! The Borg!"

    I tend to find a similar line "Don't! Provoke! Anonymous!" equally valid.

  48. sisk

    One of two things is going on here. Either E-Flicker is a honeypot designed to catch Anonymous (which I find unlikely but possible) or somebody in that organization needs to have their head examined. At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, picking a fight with Anonymous is a pretty stupid thing to do.

  49. Duffaboy
    Joke

    Duncan Says

    I'm Out

  50. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Everywhere

    That includes inside E-Flicker

  51. Zot
    WTF?

    I thought this 'group' didn't believe in copyright and wanted digital freedom for all?

    Or, are they just the usual hypocritical corporate machine inside?

    Of course they are.

    1. Johan Bastiaansen
      FAIL

      Re: I thought this 'group' didn't believe in copyright and wanted digital freedom for all?

      Digital freedom is that they didn't trademark their logo. It doesn't mean that somebody else can trademark them.

  52. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    check out the hidden /Contact/ page...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Seems to be their default error page. http://www.eflicker.fr/fubar/ goes to the same thing.

  53. nitsedy
    Facepalm

    Rules #4, #5, #6, #7

    If you don't know the rules of the Internet you shouldn't play.

  54. Johan Bastiaansen
    Devil

    No, you don't understand. Because this companies managment is very smart and they know things. Because they've got lots of money and you don't. Because you are not a manager, so you wouldn't be able to understand.

    It will turn out ok. Trust their managers on that. And if it doens't turn out ok, I'm sure the managers can not be blamed.

    Whaahaaa, I hope they cut of their nuts and serve them on a platter. Best served cold I imagine.

    1. bpfh
      Alert

      Got lots of money?

      They are a limited company with 15 000 euros capital, use one of the cheapest general public hosting services you can buy.... most of their capital will be in the T-shirt printing irons and the mug transfer ovens... If they get pwned by anonymous for a couple of weeks, they will liquidate.... and as their mobile peripherals site is closed due to lack of stock, I don't think that they will hold out long. Plus the will have to pay huge pizza bills :)

  55. John Savard

    Um...

    Neither your writer, nor perhaps Anonymous, have considered the possibility that this is a clever undercover operation by the French police to entice Anonymous into showing its hand?

    It might turn out to be rather dangerous to try and hack that firm's computers were that the case.

  56. Arthur 1
    Happy

    Let's not be so hard on them...

    Let's be fair here. Their other business plan was to trademark 'LK' as well as a photo of a stylized crown, open a bunch of stores in LA, and then sue the Latin Kings.

    I guess they made the right choice.

  57. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hmm. The US government not too long ago seized the Mongols motorcycle club's IP -- including its trademarked logo, insignia and jacket patch designs. See

    http://www.tedsoquiphoto.com/2011/06/feds-sieze-mongol-logo.html

    Anonymous (g) because I don't want them killing me whatever name they use now

  58. foo_bar_baz
    Joke

    Who's going to buy that?

    Wearing a T-Shirt saying you're Anonymous. That's like buying Virgin branded contraceptive pills.

  59. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Mmmm...

    Prison's not so bad in the West. Especially when you've done something most people think is `cool`.

    It only sucks if you are in for rape/battery or kiddie fiddling. Pretty much anything else (especially fighting `the man` just earns you status and new underground friends. )

  60. lord_farquaad
    Thumb Down

    On a low note, the firm has finally decided to cancel its registration ...

  61. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So the company was actually just copyrighting them to ensure they wouldn't get sued (if you got the copyright no one else could claim damaged against you in the territory). The CEO states that they did it to protect themselves not to commercially exploit the logo. Of course they should have then released the copyright/trademark to the public domain but anyways...

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