The national Women’s March organization has abandoned its effort to trademark the words “women’s march,” bringing a two-year battle over who owns the words and the movement to a close. Many organizers separate from the national Women’s March Inc. — headed by activists Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez and Linda Sarsour — celebrated the national group’s about-face as a victory for the movement. More than a dozen local organizations across the country formally opposed the national group’s trademark petition, claiming that no entity can own the words “women’s march” or the activism it inspired. This excludes organizations such as Women’s March Chicago, Women’s March D.C. and other regional groups. Four organizations — Women’s March Chicago, Women’s March Los Angeles, March On and Women’s March Alliance — filed suit last year to stop Women’s March Inc. from getting a trademark.

Source: Washington Post April 03, 2019 18:11 UTC