38 new Trump trademarks
China has cleared the way for Trump to provide pimping services there.
China has granted preliminary approval for 38 new Trump trademarks, paving the way for President Donald Trump and his family to develop a host of branded businesses from hotels to insurance to bodyguard and concierge services, public documents show.
Trump’s lawyers in China applied for the marks in April 2016, as Trump railed against China at campaign rallies, accusing it of currency manipulation and stealing US jobs. Critics maintain that Trump’s swelling portfolio of China trademarks raises serious conflict of interest questions.
Oh, sure, but nobody who can do anything about them will do anything about them.
If President Trump receives any special treatment in securing trademark rights, it would violate the U.S. Constitution, which bans public servants from accepting anything of value from foreign governments unless approved by Congress, ethics lawyers from across the political spectrum say. Concerns about potential conflicts of interest are particularly sharp in China, where the courts and bureaucracy are designed to reflect the will of the ruling Communist Party.
Dan Plane, a director at Simone IP Services, a Hong Kong intellectual property consultancy, said he had never seen so many applications approved so quickly. “For all these marks to sail through so quickly and cleanly, with no similar marks, no identical marks, no issues with specifications – boy, it’s weird,” he said.
Well they just want to maintain good relations with the US head of state. Oh wait – you mean that’s the conflict of interest right there. That sounds like the special treatment in securing trademark rights that he’s not allowed to get unless Congress approves it.
The trademarks are for businesses including branded spas, massage parlors, golf clubs, hotels, insurance, finance and real estate companies, retail shops, restaurants, bars, and private bodyguard and escort services.
Nothing undignified or sleazy there, no indeed.
But…but…but…the laws don’t apply to him. He’s president, remember? No ethics violations here, because…president.
He takes one particular thing that doesn’t apply to the president (stupidly doesn’t apply to the president) and reads that into a belief that none of the laws apply to him. I think that goes even further than Nixon ever dared go.
I have about had it with people who insist on saying “well, they want what’s best for the country, they just disagree on how to get there”. I may lose my temper at the next person who says that. There are clearly quite a few people who are not interested in what’s best for the country, but only in what’s best for themselves. We the people have elected a large number of them to Congress, and the biggest greedhead of all to the presidency. This will not be pretty.
Plus, also, he interprets the presidential immunity as meaning “you can do whatever you want, Donnie!!!” – which is NOT WHAT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO MEAN.
W.r.t. the sex industry stuff: I also thought the obvious, but someone pointed out that this is probably a case of defensive trademarking, i.e. other people were opening “Trump” massage parlours etc (because China is rife with intellectual property infringements, and has been for years), and this basically gives TrumpCo a legal handle to shut that down. Much though it pains me to be charitable to the Orange Bastard….
Ophelia, I’m sure Trump regards voluntary ethics restrictions as for little people, such as the preceding presidents.
The laws don’t apply to him if Congress chooses not to enforce them (effectively).