|
Comment on this article |
View comments |
Email this Article
|
|
News :: Miscellaneous |
|
Matt Hale loses another suit |
Current rating: 0 |
by gehrig
(No verified email address) |
30 Jul 2002
Modified: 08:03:06 PM |
|
Matt Hale, of the East Peoria-based neo-Nazi organization "The World Church of the Creator," has lost an infringement lawsuit and can no longer call his organization "World Church of the Creator." |
Matt Hale, "Pontifex Maximus" of the racist "World Church of the Creator," has lost an appeal and may no longer use the trademarked name "Church of the Creator."
The case, argued in June before the US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, was decided on July 25 in favor of an organization known as the "TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation--Family of URI, Inc." Details of this organization, which is unaffiliated with Hale's group, are available at their website, http://www.churchofthecreator.org.
The TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation was able to demonstrate that they had registered the phrase "Church of the Creator" through the US Patent and Trademark Office in 1988. Ben Klassen, founder of the racist "Church of the Creator, Inc.," committed suicide in 1993; Hale regrouped the organization, now apparently unincorporated and headquartered in East Peoria, under the title "World Church of the Creator" in 1996. By changing the name -- as, the Court's opinion notes, what was "apparently part of a judgement-proofing strategy after a court held that Klassen's organization must pay damages for orchestrating a murder" -- Hale surrendered any "previous use" claim on the trademark.
As the opinion sardonically notes, "It turns out that tactics used to avoid paying for one's wrongs have collateral costs."
Matt Hale has twice appeared in Champaign-Urbana; details about his September 2001 visit are available here (http://www.ucimc.org/front.php3?article_id=1962). Although he has a degree in Law from Southern Illinois University, he was judged unfit by the Illinois Bar to enter legal practice in Illinois. He appealed this ruling all the way to the US Supreme Court, on the grounds of "religious descrimination," losing each time.
The full text of the opinion, case number 02-1381, is available for download from http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/op3.fwx. The decision came down on July 25, 2002.
@%< |
|
I'll Bet This Name's Not Taken |
by one people/one blood
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
30 Jul 2002
|
Ahhh, that's too bad for poor pitiful Matt Hale.
How about "World Church of the Cretins" instead? |
|
Having seen him talk, I'd suggest... |
by gehrig
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
30 Jul 2002
|
"World Church of the Empty Scrotum."
@%< |
