White House Orders Satirical Paper 'The Onion' to Stop Using Presidential Seal
So, our friends in the White House Counsel's office don't understand the First Amendment right to parody, OR the limitations of copyright law in items that are owned by the American public, eh?
White House Orders Satirical Paper 'The Onion' to Stop Using Presidential Seal: "NEW YORK Despite White House spokesman Trent Duffy's admission to New York Times reporter Katharine Q. Seelye that 'more than one Bush staffer reads The Onion and enjoys it thoroughly,' the White House is seeking to stop the satirical paper from using the presidential seal on its Web site.
Seelye's seal scoop, printed in Monday's paper, reveals that associate counsel to the president Grant M. Dixton sent a letter to the Onion on Sept. 28 stating that the seal 'is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement.'
The newspaper parodies President Bush's weekly radio address on its Web site, accompanied by a picture of President Bush and the official insignia."