Julian Assange applied for a trademark - Julian Assange™

WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange wants to register his name as a trademark. He has filed his application at the UK intellectual property office.

The application for the trademark Julian Assange™ lists the following goods or services: Public speaking services; news reporter services; journalism; publication of texts other than publicity texts; education services; entertainment services.

Interesting enough, Assange lists the UK as his residence country. Well, if Swedish prosecutors have their way, the Australian-born WikiLeaker will have to change that to Sweden. The Nordic country has requested his extradition in order to interrogate him with regard to allegations of sexual misconduct. British courts have already granted the Swedish request. Assange is appealing the ruling at London's High Court.

The application for the entertainment services trademark has been labeled "bizarre" by David Allen Green of the London law firm Preiskel and Co. he said: ‘It's a bizarre thing for someone associated with freedom of information to do."

Mark Stephens, Assange’s lawyer, emphasized that the application was made in a “not-for-profit” category, stating: "It's not about restricting free speech. It's not that he's out there trying to make huge amounts of money. It's about protecting himself from being associated with things he doesn't know about or approve of."

However, it is highly unlikely somebody else would pretend to be Julian Assange. Only then would protecting Julian Assange™ make sense.

Provided that nobody contests Assange™'s trademark application, it could be granted as soon as May 4, 2011.

(Image courtesy of by Marian Avramescu)