From: Philip St. George, thenorthbaybay.ca staff
NORTH BAY — What do giant hornets and North Bay have in common? Not enough to warrant a trademark, says city watchdog Abigail Dickman.
“I’m very concerned,” explains Dickman. “I often check to see if the city office has placed any claims on intellectual property because it gives me a glance into what they’re thinking. I saw ‘Bay Days’ coming well before 2019, and knew about the Battalion relocating in early 2011.”
“This morning, someone from City Hall filed for a trademark on the slogan ‘The Murder Hornet Capital of Canada’ and I don’t know what to make of that.”
Councillor Reassurance
Asian giant hornets, otherwise known as “Murder Hornets,” are two inch long insects that target honeybees and have a sting capable of killing humans. They were recently spotted in Washington State.
“Listen, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about here,” says Councillor Grey Terrence.
“Just because someone (who shall remain nameless) filed a trademark on that slogan doesn’t mean North Bay is going to spend nearly $50 000 to ship 18 five foot square crates of dormant murder hornets into the city in early July in the hopes of both controlling the shadfly population and setting North Bay up as a new, one-of-a-kind tourist attraction.”
“I mean, that would be brilliant, but it’s definitely not what’s happening. Do you think air dropping them in would be best?”
Future Trademarks
Abigail Dickman says she’ll continue to watch and see what trademarks the city lays claim to.
“Registering a trademark is a lengthy process that costs $250 and must be done through the Canadian Intellectual Property Office,” says Dickman. “So if you’re going through the steps, it’s obviously very important to either you or the municipality you work for.”
Other trademarks and slogans recently registered by the city include “North Bay: Where Everyone is a CAO,” “North Bay: Technically OK,” and “North Bay: The Shadflies Are Gone!”
“North Bay: Where Everyone is a CAO,”
snicker