Pixar’s Brave in a trademark dispute with the Atlanta Braves

Pixar’s latest movie, Brave, looks like a medieval Scottish version of Whip It, where the main girl’s family want her to wear dresses and braid hair, but she’s all like “WHATEVER, I’MA DO TOMBOY STUFF INSTEAD!” But it turns out reminding people of a Drew Barrymore movie isn’t their only problem, as now the Atlanta Braves are challenging Pixar’s attempt to trademark ‘Brave.’ STOP TRYING TO STEAL OUR WORD THAT WE STOLE FROM THE INDIANS AND USED TO CREATE A CRUDE, RACIAL CARICATURE!

It all started back in March of last year when we reported on trademark applications which appeared to have been confirming a title change for what was then known as The Bear and the Bow, but is now known to be Brave.

Fast forward to this past summer when — after filing a number of extensions — the Atlanta National League Baseball Club, owners of the Atlanta Braves,  formally filed an objection to many of the trademark applications. Although trademarks are specific to their singular and plural forms and the Braves do not possess any trademarks for the word BRAVE (only BRAVES), the organization believes that damages will occur as a result of Disney’s trademarks being approved as they have used the singular form before on merchandise and insist it is common for fans, media, et al to use the singular form when referring to a single player, whereas the pluralized form refers to the entire team.

Private negotiations between The Walt Disney Company and the Atlanta National League Ball Club are currently taking place in regards to several of the objected filings with the ball club intending to file an objection against yet another of the registrations. [StitchKingdom]

Now, I’m not a lawyer, but I think the problem here is that “brave” is actually a common word with various meanings, and people probably shouldn’t be allowed to “own” a word that’s already been in use for thousands of years. Except for that Precious chick with “Precious,” that just seems fair.

If you want to trademark a word, you have to make it up yourself. Like “dickfinch.” It’s a small bird that lives in your pants.

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