Since the Charlie Hebdo massacre, over 120 French trademark applications have been filed for the phrase “JE SUIS CHARLIE.” The French trademark office, however, has already issued a press release stating that 50 of these applications have already been rejected for lack of distinctiveness. In other words, the phrase “JE SUIS CHARLIE” is considered general is not associated with a specific origin.
Applicants such as Paris graphic designer Joachim Roncin, however, are also pursuing other avenues for intellectual property protection. For example, he is also pursuing copyright protection for his logo, which features JE SUIS in white font over CHARLIE in gray on a black square background.
