In an effort to keep one of their most popular anti-villain turned anti-hero from being infringed upon Marvel is taking legal action against pretty much anyone that is seen to be depicting the iconic Punisher logo without their explicit permission. The unlicensed use of this logo, meaning that Marvel isn’t getting it’s piece of whatever action it’s being used to create, is bound to attract the full might of Marvel should any company get caught using the symbol. The only problem with this is that the symbol is very close to the traditional skull and crossbones that has been used in so many different venues. The Punisher’s logo is very distinctive but if Marvel were to go after everyone that uses the skull logo, not necessarily the Punisher’s, they might find themselves losing as much as they win.
After all some people have never picked up a comic book featuring the Punisher and might associate that symbol with Chris Kyle, the inspiration for American Sniper, or US soldiers fighting ISIS in Tikrit. I get the feeling that if Marvel had the inclination to go after US troops for this kind of thing that their support and their stock would take a very sudden drop in response. After all you don’t go after the men and women that are supporting your right to freedom of speech among many other things.
So far they’ve gone after companies making things like motorcycle parts, beer cozies, and other various products that aren’t licensed and therefore don’t have the permission to be carrying the Punisher logo on them. But it has to be asked: How in the world does Marvel even notice? With all the projects they currently have going on do they really keep people on the payroll to sniff out those small-time businesses that have decided to replicate this logo and make it work for them in some small way? If that’s the case then Marvel is little more than a mega-bully looking to get every piece of loose change they can while taking it away from those that could probably really use it.
I won’t say that using someone else’s idea is a good business plan, because it’s not. But if Marvel’s profits were ever compromised in any way by these small-time businesses, which is doubtful, then it would be a matter that might warrant this kind of attention. Until that happens though they’re being bullies, even if it’s not plain and simple.
Like I said, using someone else’s idea without permission is not a good practice. It shows that the business owner has no worthy thought processes of their own and no desire to do anything that might be worthwhile other than steal something that already exists and pawn it off as something they came up with. I don’t really get that this is what has happened, but someone else taking profit over someone else’s creation isn’t right, and it’s not worthy of a business owner.
Marvel is being a bully, but those that are using the company’s property are kind of like the loudmouth kids in the yard that don’t know when to keep silent in hope that the bully will just pass over them.
Follow Us
