There’s No Branding a Symbol of Free Speech

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Rachel Donadio

Joachim Roncin's “Je Suis Charlie” sign. Credit Dominique Faget/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

FRANCE---Almost immediately after jihadists killed 12 in an attack on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo on Jan. 7, the image went viral: “Je Suis Charlie” or “I Am Charlie,” white and light gray letters against a black background. The words are now a shorthand for support of freedom of expression. The sign is the creation of Joachim Roncin, 39, the art director of Stylist, a free Paris weekly magazine. Now, with the aid of pro bono lawyers and the good will of France’s patent office, he’s trying to prevent people from capitalizing on it. [link]