The spoils of war: trademarking "Shock and Awe"

Egad:

One day after the start of Gulf War II, Sony rushed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in an attempt to register the phrase "Shock and Awe."

The electronics giant is planning to use the term as the title to a new, combat-themed video game.

Sony is one of 15 businesses that are trying to own "Shock and Awe." A Texas pesticide company, an Ohio fireworks firm, a California t-shirt designer, and a New York maker of beer mugs and decorative plates all have filed applications.

The worst may be a Mansfield, Texas man who wants to control the "Shock and Awe" term, whether it's used to name "inflatable bath toys," "aftermarket automobile products," "alcoholic beverages," "smoking jackets," or "television programming."