Republican Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado was mocked after her tweet suggesting she would work against any attempts by the Disney Corporation to "extend Micky Mouse’s trademark" backfired.
The Congresswoman misspelled the name of Disney's iconic mascot and appeared to not know the difference between trademarks and copyrights.
Next year, the woke Disney lobbyists will ask Congress to extend Micky Mouse\u2019s trademark. \n\nI think not.— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@Rep. Lauren Boebert) 1649104823
Boebert's tweet came after Disney announced it would work to help repeal Florida's controversial "Don't Say Gay" law.
Florida’s Republican-sponsored Parental Rights in Education bill, or H.B. 1557, was recently signed into law by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. The law, colloquially known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, aims to “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children in a specified manner.”
The law wants to prohibit “a school district from encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a specified manner” and authorizes parents to “bring an action against a school district to obtain a declaratory judgment that a school district procedure or practice violates certain provisions of law.”
Boebert also did not appear to know trademarks are handled by The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Trademarks are defined as words, phrases, designs, or a combination that identifies your goods or services, distinguishes them from the goods or services of others, and indicates the source of your goods or services.
Copyright is artistic, literary, or intellectually created works, such as novels, music, movies, software code, photographs, and paintings that are original and exist in a tangible medium, such as paper, canvas, film, or digital format. Mickey Mouse is protected under copyright law.
Boebert's tweet was harshly criticized after many took her to task for not understanding copyright law and for continuing to support legislation that has angered human rights advocates and LGBTQ+ rights activists.
To all the internet 1st Amendment experts running their mouths. This is what a violation of the 1st Amendment looks like This is a US Congresswoman advocating a congressional attack on Disney for exercising their 1st Amendment rights.\n\nNow go read a civics book.https://twitter.com/RepBoebert/status/1511081269207216140\u00a0\u2026— I'MYOURHUCKLEBERRY\u2744 (@I'MYOURHUCKLEBERRY\u2744) 1649187796
I like how whenever a conservative says something like this a bunch of libs choose to focus on typo the instead of the implication that there\u2019s anything \u201cwoke\u201d or progressive about Disney OR copyright lawshttps://twitter.com/repboebert/status/1511081269207216140\u00a0\u2026— \ud83d\udc96BANG!\ud83d\udc96 (@\ud83d\udc96BANG!\ud83d\udc96) 1649188420
Congress is not responsible for Trademarks. She lacks a fundamental understanding of the basic functioning of Congress. She\u2019s a also an asshole.https://twitter.com/repboebert/status/1511081269207216140\u00a0\u2026— Patriotic Moose & Lamb (v.2) (@Patriotic Moose & Lamb (v.2)) 1649197197
You misspelled Mickey!? How can you NOT remember the song that literally spelled his name correctly in the lyrics?? \n M-I-C (See you real soon!)\n K-E-Y (Why? Because we like you!)\n M-O-U-S-E \nShould someone like you even be in Congress?\n\nI think not.\n\n#Duh https://twitter.com/RepBoebert/status/1511081269207216140\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/5ns2oR53WP— Mark Hamill (@Mark Hamill) 1649186533
The Republican Party I used to belong to said they believed in free enterprise and keeping the state out of the private sector. Today\u2019s Republican Party happily uses the state to threaten & punish the private sector. Today\u2019s Republican Party is authoritarian.https://twitter.com/RepBoebert/status/1511081269207216140\u00a0\u2026— Joe Walsh (@Joe Walsh) 1649176861
The future of Mickey Mouse being decided by people who can\u2019t spell Mickey Mouse. Oh and are also fascists.https://twitter.com/RepBoebert/status/1511081269207216140\u00a0\u2026— Gary Whitta (@Gary Whitta) 1649171073
In today\u2019s Republican Party, the primary economic role of the state is not to get out of the way. It is, instead, to reward friends and crush political enemies.\nhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/04/republicans-embrace-trumps-approach-using-pwer-bully-opponents/\u00a0\u2026https://twitter.com/RepBoebert/status/1511081269207216140\u00a0\u2026— Catherine Rampell (@Catherine Rampell) 1649175082
It\u2019s a copyright, not a trademark. And it\u2019s \u201cMickey.\u201d\n\nThere\u2019s even a song about it\u2026 \u201cM-I-C\u2026 see you real soon. K-E-Y\u2026 why? Because we love you. M-O-U-S-E.\u201dhttps://twitter.com/repboebert/status/1511081269207216140\u00a0\u2026— Travis Akers (@Travis Akers) 1649166745
It\u2019s a copyright, not a trademark. And it\u2019s \u201cMickey.\u201d\n\nThere\u2019s even a song about it\u2026 \u201cM-I-C\u2026 see you real soon. K-E-Y\u2026 why? Because we love you. M-O-U-S-E.\u201dhttps://twitter.com/repboebert/status/1511081269207216140\u00a0\u2026— Travis Akers (@Travis Akers) 1649166745
Last month, Disney heir Abigail Disney criticized the corporation amid reports the entertainment company donated to politicians who supported the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Current Disney Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bob Chapek had not spoken out against the lesgislation, a sharp contrast from former Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger, who retweeted President Joe Biden’s criticism of the “hateful bill.”
Geoff Morrell, a former George W. Bush appointee to the Defense Department who now works as the Disney Corporation's Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, defended Chapek's silence, saying he simply desired both to keep his personal political affiliations private and for the Disney Corporation to remain apolitical.
That defense did not satisfy Disney fans or employees, who criticized the company's stance until the backlash forced the company to pivot.
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