White House to Onion: Stop using seal

[Guynemer]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/26/odd.onion.reut/index.html

White House to Onion: Stop using seal
Symbol 'being used inappropriately,' says spokesman

Wednesday, October 26, 2005; Posted: 9:04 a.m. EDT (13:04 GMT)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The White House is not amused by The Onion, a newspaper that often spoofs the Bush administration, and has asked it to stop using the presidential seal on its Web site.

The seal was still on the Web site www.theonion.com on Tuesday at the spot where President George W. Bush's weekly radio address is parodied.

With headlines like "Bush To Appoint Someone To Be In Charge Of Country" and "Bush Subconsciously Sizes Up Spain For Invasion," The Onion is popular with readers looking for a little laughter with their politics.

White House spokesman Trent Duffy said people who work in the executive mansion do have a sense of humor, but not when it comes to breaking regulations.

"When any official sign or seal is being used inappropriately the party is notified," Duffy said.

"You cannot pick and choose where to enforce that rule. It's important that the seal or any White House insignia not be used inappropriately," he said.

Duffy said while he does not personally read The Onion, he admitted knowing others in the White House who do. "Like everyone else, we like a good laugh."

Scott Dikkers, editor-in-chief of the satirical newspaper, said its lawyer disagrees with the White House assessment.

"I've been seeing the presidential seal used in comedy programs most of my life and to my knowledge none of them have been asked not to use it by the White House," Dikkers said.

"I would advise them to look for that other guy Osama (bin Laden) ... rather than comedians. I don't think we pose much of a threat," Dikkers said.

Unbelievable.

[Kuciwalker]

IMO it makes sense.

[Odin]

Bush can't do that, the US government doesn't have the seal trademarked. This is censorship.

[Verto]

Originally posted by Odin
Bush can't do that, the US government doesn't have the seal trademarked. This is censorship.

Did I miss the part where the government did anything other than ask them not to use it?

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Odin
Bush can't do that, the US government doesn't have the seal trademarked. This is censorship.

The wouldn't win in court and they know it so they're trying to brow beat the Onion into it.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Odin
Bush can't do that, the US government doesn't have the seal trademarked. This is censorship.

It doesn't have anything to do with trademark. It's simply illegal.

[Kuciwalker]

I saw this a while ago on the NYT, and they had a bit more info:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/business/24onion.html

Protecting the Presidential Seal. No Joke.
KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

You might have thought that the White House had enough on its plate late last month, what with its search for a new Supreme Court nominee, the continuing war in Iraq and the C.I.A. leak investigation. But it found time to add another item to its agenda - stopping The Onion, the satirical newspaper, from using the presidential seal.

The newspaper regularly produces a parody of President Bush's weekly radio address on its Web site (www.theonion.com/content/node/40121), where it has a picture of President Bush and the official insignia.

"It has come to my attention that The Onion is using the presidential seal on its Web site," Grant M. Dixton, associate counsel to the president, wrote to The Onion on Sept. 28. (At the time, Mr. Dixton's office was also helping Mr. Bush find a Supreme Court nominee; days later his boss, Harriet E. Miers, was nominated.)

Citing the United States Code, Mr. Dixton wrote that the seal "is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement." Exceptions may be made, he noted, but The Onion had never applied for such an exception.

The Onion was amused. "I'm surprised the president deems it wise to spend taxpayer money for his lawyer to write letters to The Onion," Scott Dikkers, editor in chief, wrote to Mr. Dixton. He suggested the money be used instead for tax breaks for satirists.

More formally, The Onion's lawyers responded that the paper's readers - it prints about 500,000 copies weekly, and three million people read it online - are well aware that The Onion is a joke.

"It is inconceivable that anyone would think that, by using the seal, The Onion intends to 'convey... sponsorship or approval' by the president," wrote Rochelle H. Klaskin, the paper's lawyer, who went on to note that a headline in the current issue made the point: "Bush to Appoint Someone to Be in Charge of Country."

Moreover, she wrote, The Onion and its Web site are free, so the seal is not being used for commercial purposes. That said, The Onion asked that its letter be considered a formal application to use the seal.

No answer yet. But Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman, said that "you can't pick and choose where you want to enforce the rules surrounding the use of official government insignia, whether it's for humor or fraud."

O.K. But just between us, Mr. Duffy, how did they find out about it?

"Despite the seriousness of the Bush White House, more than one Bush staffer reads The Onion and enjoys it thoroughly," he said. "We do have a sense of humor, believe it or not."

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hey KUCI!

Citing the United States Code, Mr. Dixton wrote that the seal "is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement."

If you think the Onion is suggesting that Bush supports or endorses this mocking of him, you are on crack.

No way the Administration would win if they decided to sue.

[Kuciwalker]

I imagine any use suggests it. Particularly considering that the Onion isn't always recognized as satire... remember the incident with the Museum of the Middle Class? Or, hell, the White Chocolate article?

[Imran Siddiqui]

I imagine any use suggests it.

It doesn't.

Particularly considering that the Onion isn't always recognized as satire

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Particularly considering that the Onion isn't always recognized as satire

Notice the examples I set. Some people genuinely think it's true...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Notice the examples I set. Some people genuinely think it's true...

That's... nice. But irrelevant. There will always be morons out there.. such as those that buy the Weekly World News. However, most people realize it is satire.

Basically the same arguments decided in [b]Jerry Falwell v. Hustler[/i] apply here. There may have been some idiots who thought that Falwell was actually saying his first time was with his mother, but most people realized Hustler Magazine was making a joke.

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


That's... nice. But irrelevant. There will always be morons out there.. such as those that buy the Weekly World News. However, most people realize it is satire.

I agree with your point, Imran, but you just delivered a terrific amount of self-pwnage.

The Weekly World News is actually a satire of tabloids.

[Kuciwalker]

[Imran Siddiqui]

::shrug:: I don't notice any differences because I don't read any of them. All I know is the National Enquirer and Weekly World News... there are few more I guess.