Republican Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado was mocked after her tweet suggesting she would work against any attempts by the Disney Corporation to "extend Micky Mouse’s trademark" backfired.
The Congresswoman misspelled the name of Disney's iconic mascot and appeared to not know the difference between trademarks and copyrights.
Boebert's tweet came after Disney announced it would work to help repeal Florida's controversial "Don't Say Gay" law.
Florida’s Republican-sponsored Parental Rights in Education bill, or H.B. 1557, was recently signed into law by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. The law, colloquially known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, aims to “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children in a specified manner.”
The law wants to prohibit “a school district from encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a specified manner” and authorizes parents to “bring an action against a school district to obtain a declaratory judgment that a school district procedure or practice violates certain provisions of law.”
Boebert also did not appear to know trademarks are handled by The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Trademarks are defined as words, phrases, designs, or a combination that identifies your goods or services, distinguishes them from the goods or services of others, and indicates the source of your goods or services.
Copyright is artistic, literary, or intellectually created works, such as novels, music, movies, software code, photographs, and paintings that are original and exist in a tangible medium, such as paper, canvas, film, or digital format. Mickey Mouse is protected under copyright law.
Boebert's tweet was harshly criticized after many took her to task for not understanding copyright law and for continuing to support legislation that has angered human rights advocates and LGBTQ+ rights activists.
Last month, Disney heir Abigail Disney criticized the corporation amid reports the entertainment company donated to politicians who supported the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Current Disney Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bob Chapek had not spoken out against the lesgislation, a sharp contrast from former Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger, who retweeted President Joe Biden’s criticism of the “hateful bill.”
Geoff Morrell, a former George W. Bush appointee to the Defense Department who now works as the Disney Corporation's Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, defended Chapek's silence, saying he simply desired both to keep his personal political affiliations private and for the Disney Corporation to remain apolitical.
That defense did not satisfy Disney fans or employees, who criticized the company's stance until the backlash forced the company to pivot.
