As Politics Daily's Suzi Parker reports, Palin recently filed paperwork with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark her name, as well as the name of her oldest daughter Bristol, who's become something of a celebrity brand in her own right.
Palin's paperwork was filed in November, shortly before the premiere of her TLC show, "Sarah Palin's Alaska." Bristol Palin's application was filed in September, a few days before she began her own reality TV stint on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." The applications are still pending, amid several queries by the Patent office.
It's hard for an individual to trademark their name, but it's not without precedent. Pop singer-songwriter Billy Joel has done it, for example. If Palin's applications are granted, many politicians seeking to keep tighter commercial control of their images may well follow suit.
Since President Obama was elected, the White House has openly grumbled about advertisers using Obama's name and likeness to sell products. Last year, Obama aides publicly complained after the Weatherproof Garment Company installed a billboard in Times Square showing Obama wearing one of its jackets on a trip to China. But there was little the administration could legally do, since Obama's image and name aren't legally protected. The billboard was eventually removed—though not because of complaints.
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